When Secrets Change Your Life
by ElleMalfoy65
Summary: When Hermione and Draco return for their 8th year, all they want is a quiet and normal year. But when a swell of secrets starts to grow around them and they are locked into a secret room by their friends, something special happens between them, prompting even more secrets to be kept.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: When I started writing for this the Strictly Dramione 18+Facebook Group Spring Writing Fest, and saw that the word limit was 50K, I thought there was no way I would come close to that. Little did I know, our lovely pair had other plans. I am happy to say this will be my first completed multi-chapter fic. I don't have many notes for this story, other than near the end, there is a song that Draco had written and performs. It is a song that was released in the last few years, so I used it in that context. I hope that you listen to it, I was tempted to change the lyrics, because it is a country song, but I didn't. The song is Your Daddy's Boots by Dustin Lynch. I also want to give a shout out to my amazing and wonderful beta. There are days when I send her three chapters at a time and she never complains and sometimes often has them back that day or the next. Shelli, Frogster, you are amazing and I love you! I hope you all enjoy this story as much as I enjoyed writing it.**

 **Prompt: Tell Me No More Secrets: (Hogwarts seems to be full of secrets. Secret rooms, secret friends, secret spells, - secret romance.) Side pairings - (Ginny and Nott)**

Chapter 1

"You have to write every week at least, girls. I'll send you sweets every day." Mrs. Weasley was tearful from the platform, wiping her cheeks with a worn and tattered handkerchief. Hermione and Ginny were leaving for Hogwarts to finish their education. The war had been over for a little more than a year. The wizarding world had been rebuilt. Hogwarts had been restored and was accepting students again.

"We will, Mum, but we really need to go now." Ginny peeled herself from her mum's embrace much to her own relief, only for Hermione to be swept up into the plump woman's arms. Hermione had been living with the Weasleys since the war had ended. She had left her parents in Australia.

After the war, she had gone to restore their memories, but when she found them, they were flourishing. They had a bakery, a little cottage by the beach, and a dog. She couldn't bring herself to do it. It was a risk to try and restore their memories anyway, and she didn't want to take that risk. So she apparated away and spent the next two days alternating between crying in Ginny's arms and crying in Harry's.

Three weeks later, Harry had convinced her to return to Australia with him, and together, they both worked at the memory charms on her parents. It took them four full days to slowly break down the thick walls, but they had finally managed to completely reverse the charms, bringing her parents' memories back successfully. The next day, Hermione and Harry apparated them back to their old house and their old lives.

Pulling herself free from Mrs. Weasley's arms, she smiled at the woman. "I promise to make her write, Mrs. Weasley. I'll write as well." Harry and Ron hadn't come to see them off, but only because they were currently deep into Auror training. They had said their goodbyes at the Burrow.

The train horn blew, steam clouding up the platform. Across the way, she saw a shock of blonde hair saying goodbye to an older couple. The Malfoys had placed themselves off to the side, isolating themselves from passersby. They still were seen as pariahs in the wizarding community, even though they had turned to fight with the Order. Draco had changed his parents' minds.

When he was tasked to kill Dumbledore, he couldn't follow through. Dumbledore had offered him help, a safe haven, and Draco had grasped the lifeline with all of his might. A plan had been set up with the Order and they had swooped in to extract Lucius and Narcissa and get them to a safe house.

There had still been trials for them, though. The three of them had gotten light sentences, thanks to Harry, Hermione, and the Order's testimonies—only a year of house arrest with their magic suspended. It couldn't have been pleasant, but it was much better than Azkaban, that was for sure. Even if the wizarding prison wasn't guarded by Dementors anymore.

The second train whistle blew, giving them their final warning. Ginny and Hermione rushed off and climbed aboard, waving from the open doorway one last time, before moving to find a compartment. It proved difficult to find one that wasn't already occupied, but when they came upon one that held Luna and one other student, they entered, preferring to sit with their friend.

When they slid the compartment door open, the young man looked up, a smile gracing his face, and Hermione recognized him as Theodore Nott. He had also turned from the dark side of the war, before he was branded a Death Eater. He had always been in the background in Draco's group of followers, but he had never been rude to her as Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy had.

He had actually helped the remaining members of Dumbledore's Army who had been left behind in Hogwarts. "Hello, Hermione. Ginny, it's nice to see you again." There was an undertone to his voice when he addressed Ginny, who was blushing, that piqued Hermione's interest, but she didn't question it.

"Come in and shut the door before the wrackspurts fly in," Luna piped up, her airy voice floating through the air. Ginny slid the door shut, her blush diminishing now, and took a seat opposite Theodore. Hermione sat next to Luna, giving her a hug. "Luna, I'm so happy to see you."

"Oh, Hermione, it is so lovely to see you." Luna turned her attention to Ginny, who was studiously ignoring Theodore, which only made Hermione even more curious. "Ginny, you are being very quiet. That is unlike you."

Ginny's blush returned and she spluttered a bit. "I just...I didn't sleep well last night. That is all. It's nice to see you, Luna." The last sentence was said pointedly, but it clearly rolled right off of Luna as she pulled out a new edition of The Quibbler and proceeded to read it.

Hermione turned her attention to their other compartment companion. "So, Theodore, what have you been doing since the war ended?"

She watched as he cringed. "Please, call me Theo, Hermione. I have been getting all of my father's various estates and things in order. He left them in quite a disarray before he died."

"I'm very sorry for your loss, Theo," Hermione said, her eyes full of sorrow, but when he snorted, she was taken aback.

"Please, don't be. He was a right bastard and if I had continued to follow in his footsteps I would have ended up with that forsaken mark on my arm as well. Not to mention, I'd likely be in hell right along side him. And I prefer being among the living."

The last was said with an almost imperceptible glance at Ginny; had Hermione not been watching him closely, she would have missed it. "Well, we were certainly grateful for your help, Theo. It might well have just been the help we needed to successfully evacuate the school. Not to mention the integral part you played in the war."

A slight pink tinged the tops of his ears. "I simply fought alongside all of you, Hermione, for a better world. A world that wouldn't be living in fear every day, ruled by a psychopath. I'm just glad, again, that I saw reason before it was too late. That mark would have been my death-"

The compartment door slid open yet again, all eyes turned to look at the new presence standing in the open doorway. No one said anything for a moment, but it was Luna who broke the silence. "Draco, I was wondering when you would join us." Hermione's head snapped around, looking at Luna. It was as if the girl was clairvoyant, but as far as Hermione knew, she wasn't. "What? He's been standing at the window for ages," Luna said dreamily.

Draco ducked his head and blushed. "I didn't want to intrude on your conversation. But Luna waved me in and so I thought I would come on in, everywhere else is full. Is it alright if I join you?" He seemed shy, the first time since Hermione had known him.

"Of course you can, Draco. We don't mind. But do hurry, the Wrackspurts are swarming."

Hermione stifled a giggle as Draco's eyes widened at Luna's statement and she mimed sliding the compartment door shut. He followed her directions and greeted Theo with a handshake. "Nott."

"Malfoy." Theo returned with a nod.

Draco took a seat on the same side as Theo, as the girls were on the opposite side of the compartment. The whole atmosphere had become awkward and tense with Draco's arrival and Hermione didn't know how to break the tension.

"What do you reckon our sleeping arrangements will be, Hermione?" Theo asked and Hermione shrugged.

"In all my correspondence with Professor McGonagall she never once gave away any information about what to expect this year, aside from house unity. Though she did tell me that there would be a set of eighth year Heads, but they wouldn't be announced until the feast. Which confused me. Because normally, they tell the students in their yearly letter. So, your guess is just as good as mine is, Theo." Hermione sighed, crossing her legs.

Theo nodded, sitting back in silence. The compartment once again covered with an awkwardness that made Hermione uncomfortable. Until Luna spoke up, "I'm going to go and find Neville. He should be on here somewhere." Everyone's heads swiveled to the blonde and watched as she rose and left.

"Well, that was random." Draco said, the first words he'd uttered since he sat down.

"That's Luna." Hermione answered with a small smile in his direction. "She's random and quirky, but smart and daring. She's weird, but I'd want her in my corner in any fight. Though I hope that never has to happen again."

Draco nodded, giving Hermione his own small smile, just a lift at the corner of his lips. "I remember seeing her fighting at the battle. She is a fierce and fearless witch, that much is certain. I would have hated to be on the firing end of her wand."

Hermione was entranced by Draco, this version of him was intriguing her. He was visibly different from his previous self, he held himself differently. His poise was still confident, but less haughty than before. He didn't sneer as much as he had when they had first been at Hogwarts. He even spoke differently. "She does have a very nasty stinging hex."

Draco and Hermione both were locked into some kind of trance, almost going around each other in a dance, though they hadn't moved from their seats. So lost to their surroundings as they continued their conversation that they didn't notice the looks that Theo and Ginny were throwing their way before the pair got up and left the compartment. Leaving Draco and Hermione to their wolfish dance.

"I can recall another witch who has a nasty right hook as well." Draco grinned then, his hand coming up, fingers gently rubbing at the small scar on his nose.

Hermione giggled quietly, watching as he rubbed his nose. "I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not. You deserved that." She watched as he nodded, relaxing back into the cushioned seat.

"I did deserve it, I was a right tosser. It was my fault that the hippogriff attacked me anyway. I was jealous of Potter, getting to ride the hippogriff and I just wanted to be like him. Oh, don't look so shocked, Granger."

Hermione tried to wipe the look of surprise from her face. "I'm sorry. It's just...I always kind of knew you might have been a little jealous of Harry, but I didn't expect it to go that far."

Draco shrugged, straightening the cuffs of his shirt. "I was a young impressionable boy. I had spent my whole childhood hearing about Harry Potter and how he defeated the Dark Lord. Of course, most of those things were from my father. But there were some, where I would find old copies of the Daily Prophet and I would read them. He was a hero to many, and to me, when I was little."

"So why did you start to taunt him so?" Hermione tilted her head, looking at the man seated across from her. For that was what he was now, a man. Not the young boy he had been. He no longer slicked his hair back, but wore it in a different style, swept to the side and held there. It was very becoming of him.

"Because, when I tried to befriend him, he blew me off and that was before I even knew who he was. It was in Madam Malkin's. I was simply just talking to him and he didn't say much of anything back, of course, I did insult Hagrid. I know now how wrong I was about the half-giant. Then at Hogwarts, I was just so angry that he didn't want to be my friend. Hell, I was a spoiled brat and when I didn't get what I wanted, I acted out. But I didn't know any better. I do now." Draco sighed quietly, turning his head to look out of the window.

Hermione studied his profile, the sharp jawline, the high cheekbones, the aristocratic nose. From this angle, she could tell his hair had darkened some since their school days. As if just a year in war had darkened him. "Well, if it's any consolation, I am glad that you know better now."

XxX

Down in another compartment, Theo had run a few first years out and had shut himself inside with Ginny. He pulled the curtains down and turned, grabbing Ginny by the waist and tugged her in close. Their lips met in a heated kiss as he slid a hand into her fiery hair. Her hands were gripping his shirt at the band of his muggle jeans as she lifted herself up on her toes. "I've missed you," she mumbled against his lips and he chuckled low against hers.

"Merlin, I can't begin to tell you how much I've missed you, Gin." His hands moved and cradled her face, brushing his thumbs along her cheeks. "You look so beautiful today. Do you know how hard it was to keep my hands off of you in that compartment? We're going to have to tell people eventually, Gin. We're safe now, the war is over. We're free to love who we want, free to be together."

Ginny leaned into the hands of her boyfriend, smiling up into his baby blue eyes. "I know, Theo. Trust me, I want people to know, I do. I'm just scared of how my family will react. You know how my brothers are. Especially Ron. I don't want them to do anything to you. Even though you fought for our side, he still wouldn't understand. He's such a pigheaded oaf."

Theo made to speak again, but Ginny waved him off. "Enough about that, we have more pressing matters to attend to."

A frown creased his forehead as he tilted his head, he wasn't blind. He could see she was up to something. "More pressing matters? Gin, what the bloody hell are you on about now? I see that devilish gleam in your eyes. What are you planning?"

That smirk of hers made an appearance as she started to pace the limited space of the compartment. "Tell me you didn't feel that sexual tension between them. They didn't even realize we left. And I bet they still haven't realized it."

It took Theo a moment to catch up to her train of thought, but when he did, he shook his head. "Ginny, no. We tried setting up Blaise and Luna. That blew up in our faces, remember? No, we are not meddling in someone else's love life."

She whirled on him, her hair flying behind her like a flame, hands on her hips and for a moment, he was reminded of her mother at the final battle, facing down Bellatrix. "If you think for one second, that I will let you talk me out of this, Theodore Cassius Nott, you are seriously mistaken."

Well, that was it. His seed of hope that he wouldn't get tied into someone else's love life disappeared. She had full-named him. He was doomed. With a groan he sank down onto the seat, hanging his head. "What exactly do you have planned?"

Sensing her victory, she clapped her hands and squealed as she jumped up and down. "So, we obviously will have to set them up on a blind date. Because there's no way they'll both agree to a date if they know it's with each other."

Theo nodded, scrubbing his face with his hands, "Yes, but who's to say that they won't just leave when they arrive and see each other?"

He looked up at his girlfriend, the love of his life, and could virtually see the wheels turning in her brain. Another of her deviant grins split her face wide. "What about that secret chamber? The one down in the dungeons, just outside the Slytherin common room? The one where we used to have our little rendezvous?"

A low groan rolled free of his throat as he replayed those moments Ginny was referring to. "That could work. I could tweak the charm on the room so that the password would change once they were inside. And since they wouldn't know the password, they couldn't get out until I let them out."

Ginny bounced up and down on the balls of her feet with a grin. "This is perfect! We need to work on this as soon as possible. Yes, I'll start working on Hermione, get her to test the waters and you can work on Draco."

The light in her eyes was one that he loved, it was the reason he fell for her in the first place. When they would talk battle strategy before the war broke out, she would always get this fire in them. It was like it was a banked fire, only restrained by her eyes, fueled by her hair. With a sigh of defeat and a grin of his own, he agreed. "Fine, I'll work on Draco."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The rest of the train ride had been spent with Hermione and Draco just talking. They didn't notice that they were alone until the train pulled into Hogsmeade. Hermione looked around the empty compartment, completely surprised at the fact that she hadn't realized Ginny and Theo had left. Nor had she realized when.

"I didn't realize they had left either." Draco said with a smile. Hermione shook her head and laughed softly. "I've never gotten so lost in conversation before. But I must say, I enjoyed the company." She lifted up on her toes, trying to retrieve her bag from the rack. Her shirt rose up her waist and Draco's eyes couldn't help but zero in on the skin.

He stared for only a moment, before jumping forward, "Here, allow me." He easily reached over her and took the bag down for her, delivering it into her hands. The move had brought them chest to chest and Hermione inhaled sharply, tilting her head back to look up at him. Her heart was hammering in her chest and she felt something pulling her closer to Draco.

He could feel it too. He even leaned in, his own heart beating double time in his chest. The closer he got, the more he could smell the jasmine and vanilla sandalwood scent on her skin and hair. The combination was intoxicating, and he inhaled just to get more of it. Their lips were mere inches from each other when the compartment door slid open. "Oi, Malfoy! Let's get a move on."

With his back to the door, he had shielded just how close he and Hermione had been. He jerked around to throw a smirk to Theo. "Well look who decided to show back up. Where were you? Off snogging your girlfriend?" He was teasing Theo and enjoying it as he dipped his head in the direction of Ginny, who promptly turned as red as a tomato. He had never expected to be right.

Hermione had peeked out around him, eyeing Ginny with loving malice in her eyes. "We. Will. Talk. Later." She smiled up at Draco, tucking her hair behind her ear. "It was nice talking to you, Draco. Maybe we can catch up more over the school year."

As she marched past him, he smiled at her and nodded, "I'd like that, Granger."

Theo and Ginny marched on, getting off of the train on their own, and Hermione stuck her head back into the door. "You can call me Hermione, you know." Draco's ears turned pink at the tips, as he nodded once more. "I'll take that into advisement, Hermione." He said it slowly, as if testing it out, and finding the name foreign on his tongue. "I think I may stick to Granger for a while longer."

XxX

The carriage ride had been uneventful and Hermione spent the whole time staring at Ginny and Theo across from her. Draco would chuckle in amusement every time Ginny would shift on the spot. "Hermione, I was—"

Hermione held up her index finger and made a noise in her throat. "I said later." Ginny pouted and sunk into the bench and Theo's side.

When they arrived at the castle, Theo helped Ginny from the carriage and they set off for the steps. Draco got down before Hermione and turned back. "May I?" He held his hand up, a clear offer and Hermione smiled, sliding her hand into his.

"Thank you, Draco. That was very nice of you." Once her feet were on the ground, they held hands for a few more seconds before letting their fingers separate.

"You're welcome, Granger." He grinned down at her as they made their way to the entrance hall.

Once inside, they both walked toward the Great Hall, already consumed with conversations. Before they went their separate ways, they smiled at each other. "I'll see you around, Granger."

"Bye, Draco." She called after him before heading to the Gryffindor table. She found a seat next to Neville, giving her friend a hug. "Hi Nev, how're you?"

He smiled at her and shrugged, "Can't complain. How are you, Hermione?"

Neville had changed the most out of her fellow Lions. Gone was the boyish fat on his frame, his jawline was now defined instead of rounded and he had grown into his oversized teeth. Hermione suspected, however, that he had used a straightening charm on them as well. He was actually quite handsome, now that she thought about it. "I'm well, Neville. Excited to be back."

He nodded, mumbling a "me too" as he waved at Luna over at the Ravenclaw table. Hermione smiled over at the blonde girl, giving her own wave. "I take it things have been going well with you two?"

Neville blushed but nodded, "Yeah. We've been seeing each other every weekend since things have settled down. I'm sorry things didn't work out with Ron."

Hermione gave Neville a smile and patted his arm, "No need to be sorry, Neville. He found who makes him happy. I won't begrudge him that. Justin is a wonderful guy. You remember Justin, don't you?"

The man beside her nodded, looking down at Hermione, "Yeah, Finch-Fletchley, right?" Hermione nodded and looked over at the Hufflepuff table where the man sat and gave him a wave as well.

Ginny joined them then, seeing Hermione waving at Justin, she sent over a wave of her own. Then she turned to speak to Hermione, who threw her yet another icy stare. "I can't believe you didn't tell me. We are not talking about it now. But we will talk about it soon."

Hermione turned her attention to the front of the hall as McGonagall stepped up to the podium. "Good evening and welcome back to Hogwarts, students. In a moment we will be leading in the first years for sorting, I would ask you to please be patient until then."

The chatter that had died down picked back up, Neville and Ginny chatting around Hermione. She looked over her shoulder, feeling a pair of eyes on her, but when she connected with the grey irises, they looked away quickly.

The double doors of the Great Hall opened and Professor Flitwick led the scared-looking first years into the hall. The sorting hat was sitting on its stool at the front and as the young kids lined up in front of it, Hermione couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.

Flitwick waited for a moment, to see if the hat was going to spout into song, when it didn't, he unrolled the parchment and called off the first name on the list: Aarons, Fannie.

The raven-haired girl broke free of the group, shaking and terrified. Hermione watched as she struggled to climb onto the stool. By the look on her face, Hermione knew she had to be a muggleborn. "Hufflepuff!" The hat shouted and the hall erupted into cheers.

The list was read, in alphabetical order, and when the next name came up, everyone looked around in surprise at the name. "Snape, Tiberius."

The gasps were heard around the room and McGonagall stepped forward, using her hands to shush the crowd, "Quiet, please." Hermione, Ginny and Neville exchanged looks, all just as surprised as the other was.

Hermione then turned to catch Draco's eyes, his were wide, like hers and he shrugged. She turned back as the boy with black hair and an instantly familiar hooked nose climbed onto the stool. The hat sat on his head, dwarfing the poor boy as it deliberated where to put him.

She could see the boy's lips moving as he chanted something, and wondered what it was he was saying. "Ravenclaw!" The hat called out and Tiberius exhaled in what seemed to be relief. He climbed from the stool and went to join his new house mates.

Hermione truly hoped this night didn't hold anymore surprises. She wasn't sure she could take them. The sorting was over shortly after that and McGonagall took the podium again.

"Welcome, first years, to Hogwarts. We hope your first year here is just as magical as you are. There are just a few rules to go over. The forbidden forest is off limits to all students, including eighth years, though you may enter with express permission from myself only. First years are also not allowed brooms, as was stated in your letters. If you stowed a broom in your trunks, it will be confiscated and returned to your parents. That is all for rules.

"Eighth years, I know some of you are wondering about where you will be housed during your stay. During renovations there were some additional dormitories built. Now, as you are all adults, we won't deal with separating witches from wizards, we just ask that you be responsible. In all ways.

"Now, as you know, in fifth year, we choose two prefects from each house and we also choose a Head Boy and a Head Girl. Those lucky people have been notified by their letters. There has been one minor change this year, with the inclusion of our eighth year students. We have also chosen a Head Boy and Head Girl pair out of that lot. They were not notified as I wished to discuss the position in person. However, I will announce the lucky witch and wizard chosen for the position. After the feast, if these two would accompany me to my office, I will give a full disclosure on your duties and the reasoning behind your position."

McGonagall's eyes swept the crowd and landed on Hermione first and she began to breathe fast. No, not this. She didn't want this kind of pressure, whatever it may entail. She just wanted a normal year at Hogwarts. "Hermione Granger."

She cringed as her name was called, forcing a smile, she stood up and waved at the applauding crowd. They were cheering so loudly, she barely heard when McGonagall continued, "And Draco Malfoy." Hermione whipped around so fast, she almost gave herself whiplash. Draco stood, shakily, to his feet and caught her eyes, looking just as shocked as she had. Great, that made two of them.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Once the feast was over, Draco and Hermione made their way to the Headmistress' office. Neither said a word as they went, both still too shocked to speak. Once standing outside the statue of the griffin, Draco realized they didn't know the password. "Do you know the password?"

He watched as Granger shook her head, her curls bouncing around her face. _Hermione_ , he reminded himself, _she wants you to call her Hermione_.

"No, I suppose we'll just wait for Professor McGonagall to arrive."

So wait they did, in silence, for five minutes until McGonagall rounded the corner, talking happily with Professor Binns. When she saw the two sour-looking students, she bid the ghost farewell and smiled. "Hello, Miss Granger. Mister Malfoy. The password is Peverell."

Draco noticed Hermione look at the old professor curiously but brushed it off as the women proceeded up the spiraling staircase before him. This Head Boy business was the last thing he had wanted. He had wanted to just come to Hogwarts and complete his education, then return to the Manor and take over the family corporation. It was time to steer it away from the illegal aspects.

McGonagall opened the door to her office and held it open, letting the two students pass. Hermione immediately went in and sat down on one of the plush armchairs in front of the massive desk, ever the patient student. Draco, however, took to pacing the vast space.

"Mister Malfoy, please, have a seat." Professor McGonagall said, gesturing to the chair next to Hermione. Draco looked at her, then at Hermione, and finally at the chair. "I don't think I will, thanks."

He could see he was drawing the professor's ire—her lips were thinning out. "Mister Malfoy, you will sit down or I will charm you to that chair. Your pacing is driving me mad." Draco sighed and moved to sit in the empty chair, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I can tell by your body language that neither of you are happy with the arrangement. Though, Miss Granger, I can't imagine why you wouldn't be. If not for certain events in your previous years, you would have been made Head Girl. Mister Malfoy, as for you, we thought that it would be the best kind of retribution in the eyes of some of your peers." McGonagall narrowed her eyes at Draco as he inspected his nails.

Hermione sighed, scrubbing a hand over her face. "I just wanted a stress-free year, Professor. One where I could just focus on my studies and have fun with my friends. This? This throws a kink into all of those plans. Why does the school even need another set of Heads? I don't mean to question whoever made this decision, Professor, but it doesn't seem like a very logical decision."

McGonagall nodded, straightening a stack of books on her desk. "It's more of a status thing, really. All you would need to do is approve anything that the other Heads bring you. You have no curfew, unlimited access to the library—to all of its contents. If you so choose, sleeping quarters separate from your fellow eighth years are available to you. You are free to come and go as you please. There is a special clearing within the Forbidden Forest that will allow you to apparate from the grounds freely."

Draco's eyes widened and his head snapped up, looking at McGonagall. "Then why are you even implementing this? If it's all just for show?"

A small chuckle left the Headmistress' lips, so out of character that Draco and Hermione exchanged surprised glances. When they turned to look back at the older woman, she was looking away at a portrait over their shoulders. They turned and followed her gaze. "It would seem that our dear old Albus still has a sense of humor, even in death. This was all his idea. He wanted to give you both a chance to really excel in your schoolwork this year. So he concocted his genius plan."

The figure of Dumbledore in the portrait, was slumped against the chair, a series of small snores coming from his lips. "So, it's basically Dumbledore's last laugh?" Draco asked, chuckling softly.

"You could look at it that way, Mister Malfoy. Now, as I mentioned earlier, you are both welcome to have your own dormitory. It is identical to the other Heads' dormitory—two bedrooms with connected bathrooms, its own common area and a kitchenette as well. After this year, we plan to actually implement two sets of Heads. So during the renovations we had another dorm built. You can either use it, or you can stay in the dormitories with your fellow classmates. Which would you prefer?"

Draco looked at Hermione again, watching as the beautiful girl chewed on her bottom lip. No doubt she was running through every pro and con there could be to the situation. Of course, con number one on her list would have to be sharing such confined space with only him. So it surprised him when she turned from him to McGonagall. "I would like to use that dorm. It would give me much needed peace for studying that a crowded common room wouldn't. Draco?"

He tried to mask his dumbfounded expression, but Hermione's sly grin told him he had failed. "I think I agree with Granger. As I focused most of my time sixth year on the task that the Dark Lord had set me, I'm afraid I fell a bit behind on my schoolwork. So a quiet space would work well for me also."

McGonagall nodded and rose from her seat, "Very well. Now, if you two would kindly follow me, I'll lead you to your new living quarters."

Draco and Hermione exchanged looks again, but rose to follow their headmistress. When they got to the doorway, they both tried to go for it at the same time, causing them to brush against one another. The shot of electricity Draco felt was surprising, but he brushed it off as static electricity. He waved his arm towards the open door, "Please, go ahead."

Hermione had a slight blush on her cheeks that he didn't miss as she slipped past him, taking the staircase carefully. He tried not to watch her hips sway as she took each step, but couldn't help himself. Draco had always admired Hermione. True, he'd tormented her for most of their early years, but he had admired her.

She was smart, witty and funny when she wanted to be. But he never would have been able to pursue her. His father would have had a fit in those days. Now, he had no say. When she'd punched him in third year, that was when the admiration had turned into something more. Though again, he could have never admitted it. Then he'd joined Voldemort and had ruined any chances he'd have had with her, if she'd have ever wanted to give him the time of day.

They were back in the corridor now, Professor McGonagall turning left from her office, heading away from the main staircase. They came to a portrait. McGonagall stepped right through it and Draco exchanged yet another look with Hermione. They were getting all kinds of surprises tonight.

He gestured for Hermione to go first and followed her through. The sensation was strange, as if he had stepped through cool water, but emerged on the other side still dry. They were in a dimly lit hallway, torches spread sporadically throughout the space. At the end of the hallway was another painting.

The subject of this painting was a golden peacock and Draco couldn't help the snort that left his lips. It was as if they were trying to pin the two of them together. McGonagall turned around at the sound of the echo of his snort. "What is so funny, Mister Malfoy?"

Draco pointed at the painting. "A golden peacock?"

McGonagall turned to look at the portrait, nodding as if she understood now. "This portrait is special. The subject matter changes depending on the inhabitants of the dormitory. As we are now seeing a golden peacock, I assume it must have some meaning."

He looked at Hermione and watched as she tilted her head, inspecting the painting. "Well, as peacocks are seen as a sign of wealth and you actually own albino peacocks, Draco, that obviously represents you."

She stalled, still studying the portrait, trying to decipher what represented her, but Draco knew. "The gold. You're part of the Golden Trio." What he couldn't figure out though, was why there wasn't a separate object or animal to represent her. Why it was just one subject matter to represent the both of them.

"Now, as the subject matter changes, so does the method for entry. Which means you now have to figure that out for yourselves. I'll leave you to it, I have other matters to attend to." She gave them both a firm nod and retreated down the corridor.

Hermione turned to blink up at Draco. "What are we? At the entrance to Ravenclaw Tower?"

Draco couldn't help the second snort that left his lips. He had never heard such a sarcastic snarky tone pass her lips before, especially in regards to a professor. Most especially McGonagall. "I've no idea, Granger. Since it's a peacock, maybe we could try petting it?"

Her eyes narrowed at him, as if trying to discern whether he was being sarcastic or serious. But as he was tired, exhausted from all of the interaction with people, he was being serious. He just wanted to park his arse somewhere comfortable and relax. Instead of saying anything, she moved forward, two fingers extended, and stroked the neck of the peacock.

Draco watched as the elegant bird shuddered under her touch and he couldn't help but wonder whether that would be his reaction to being touched so gently by her. The fan of feathers shook, almost seeming to vibrate, before the bird moved away, revealing a doorway behind it.

The door swung open and the dark space beyond began to grow. Before long, it was large enough for the two of them to walk through. He looked down at Hermione, getting lost in her honey-colored eyes for a moment before they stepped through.

On the other side of the doorway, there was a plush common room decorated in a mixture of Gryffindor and Slytherin colors. There was a small couch in front of the fire and Draco made a beeline for it, collapsing into the cushions. He sighed in happiness, his eyelids drooping, but not closing completely. He was watching Hermione as she explored the space, first moving her way through the kitchenette, opening the cabinets, finding everything fully stocked.

But then she spotted the wall of bookshelves and made her way over, her fingers lifting to trail along the spines of the books directly in front of her. This was one of the things Draco admired most about her. Her love for knowledge, learning, literature. Sure, she was a beautiful girl, but her brain made her stunning.

She pulled a book free and opened it, scanning the pages, before putting it back. She turned, resting her back against the shelving and sighed, a happy little smile on her face. Her eyes roamed over Draco, lounging on the couch. She had to have thought he was sleeping. Since his lids were so low, there was no way she could tell that he was watching her.

"Hermione, what have you gotten yourself into?" She asked herself as she watched Draco on the couch. "But he seems so different than your younger years, you know he is. He switched sides. He's been nothing but nice. Maybe this will be your chance to get to know him. Just give him a chance, the past is in the past. Start fresh. He deserves a second chance. Give it to him."

Draco could feel his heart clenching at her words. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was giving herself a pep talk about living with him. He didn't know whether to be angry or awed that she wanted to give him a chance. But his breath almost caught at her next words. "He's so handsome when he's unguarded like this."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The first week had flown by and Hermione hadn't done any of her homework yet. That was just a much a shock to her as it was to her friends, but she was just busy trying to settle in. It was just a little unsettling and difficult to get used to living with Draco. He wasn't a difficult roommate, not at all.

It was just that she was so used to being in a dorm full of girls and in a common room full of people. To go from that to just living with one person was a bit of an adjustment. She remembered their first night in the dormitory, of leaning against the bookshelf, watching him sleep on the couch.

She had been talking to herself, telling herself that she could give him a second chance, that he deserved it. She still believed that. They just hadn't had a chance to sit down and talk yet.

"Hey! Hermione!" She turned at the sound of Ginny's voice and smiled at her friend. Her initial shock and anger at the Weasley girl had finally dissipated and they were back on friendly terms. Hermione never would have stayed mad at Ginny for very long. "So, Theo set up a dinner for us tonight."

Hermione looked over at her friend with a grin, "That's sweet, Gin. I'm happy for you. I bet you'll have a wonderful time."

Ginny laughed, "Not him and I, Hermione. You and I." Hermione looked at her friend questioningly, her head tilting to the side. "I just feel so bad that you found out about Theo and I the way you did, Hermione. I wanted to make up for it somehow. Theo, well all the Slytherins really, know of this secret room down in the dungeons. So he's getting us some food from the kitchen and is going to let us into the room."

A laugh bubbled up from Hermione's throat as she looked at Ginny. "You're serious. A girl date, basically."

Ginny nodded, her red hair moving with the motion. "Yes, a girl date. But don't you dare just show up in rags. You'd better dress up, as if we were going to a nice restaurant."

Hermione sighed as she stopped outside the door to her last class of the week. "Fine. But don't expect me to be happy about it."

She had turned her back on Ginny, so she didn't see the devious glint in her best friend's eyes. "Oh, but you'll have fun though. See you later."

As she walked into Ancient Runes, her eyes immediately landed on the pale head of hair sitting at the back of the classroom. None of her other friends would have this class; she had already checked. So she took in a deep breath and took the seat beside Draco, turning to give him as genuine a smile as she could muster. "Hello."

He looked down at her in surprise, for even sitting, he still towered over her. "Hey, Granger. How are you?"

"I'm doing great, glad that the first week is coming to a close. How are you?" Honey eyes met grey and she inhaled slowly at the emotion in those depths. The color seemed to swirl with whatever he was feeling and she could feel herself getting lost in it.

"I'm glad the first week is coming to a close as well. Though I must admit, I'm a bit worried about this class. I didn't exactly pay attention the first time around." He smiled uneasily at her, a little embarrassed, if his pink tinged ears were anything to go by.

Hermione smiled at him, giving him a reassuring pat on his arm, missing the way his nostrils flared at the touch. "Well, it's a good thing we're roommates then. I'll give you any help that you need. All you have to do is ask."

She let her hand linger, as she would if he were Harry or Ron. But there was a difference here—it was as if there was an undercurrent of electricity running between them. She was sure that Draco could feel it too. If the look in his eyes wasn't expressing that, his body language would.

But the moment was broken by the new professor walking into the classroom. Hermione jerked her hand from Draco's arm, a blush heating her cheeks.

"Hello class. I am Professor Flint." Beside Hermione, Draco snorted and shook his head. "I don't believe this. You're our professor?" Hermione looked at the professor in question, her eyes widening in recognition. "Marcus Flint?"

He chuckled, looking at his former Slytherin classmate and Hermione. "Hello, Hermione. Draco, nice to see you again. Yes, I am your professor. Better get used to it." He threw Hermione a wink and moved to the front of the room.

The lesson commenced and Hermione studiously took notes, acutely aware of how close Draco was to her. Her arm brushed his as she wrote, those sparks of electricity igniting her system each time.

When the class was dismissed, she smiled at Draco. "Remember, if you need any help, just let me know." He nodded at her, packing his book bag. "Thank you, I will consider it. Will you be dining in the Great Hall tonight or in our dorm?"

Hermione smiled at him, "Actually, I'm having a private dinner with Ginny tonight. Her way of apologizing for not telling me about Theo."

Draco chuckled softly and nodded, "I think Theo had a similar idea, because I'm having dinner with him as well. I assume you need to go and get ready. I'll give you space to do that. I'll see you later tonight when we make it back."

"Thank you for that. But it is your home as well, there's no need to avoid it just for me to go and get ready." She rested her bag on her shoulder and looked up at the man before her.

He smiled down at her, truly smiled and she found herself having trouble breathing. "I assure you, Granger, it is no inconvenience. I was going to head to the eighth year common room and hang out with Theo before we had dinner anyway."

Hermione sighed softly as she nodded. "If you say so. I'll see you later then, Draco." She left him behind in the classroom to go back to their dormitory to get ready.

XxX

Draco watched her go, his eyes locked on her retreating form until she rounded a corner. "Pining much, are we?" Draco closed his eyes and inhaled slowly as the new 'professor' came up behind him.

"Shut up, Flint."

"Hey, she's a beautiful girl. Smart, too. I don't blame you. It's too bad that she doesn't want you. Maybe I could ask her out."

Draco gritted his teeth, keeping his eyes closed as he slowly inhaled while counting to ten. "Flint, don't you dare go near her. She deserves much better than either you or I." He raised his lids, turning to look at his former Quidditch captain. "Stay the fuck away from her, got it?"

Flint raised his hands in front of him in surrender, "Hey, I was just yanking your chain, Malfoy. I've got my own bird back at home. I just wanted to see your reaction, mate. You're bang in love, aren't you?"

"Bugger off, Flint." Draco flipped his former housemate and Quidditch captain, now professor, off and walked out of the classroom to go to the eighth years' dormitory. When he arrived, he gave the password: "Snout wiggle." The portrait slid to the side, revealing the archway behind it. Draco stepped through with a grin, calling out, "Honey, I'm home."

Theo stepped out of a room on the right, finishing up buttoning a black shirt, smiling softly and shaking his head. "You couldn't go change out of your school robes for dinner? You're such a slob. Go in my room and borrow something of mine."

Draco rolled his eyes with a smirk and headed for the same door Theo had just exited. "Oh honey, you do care." Once inside the room, he looked around with a grin. The room was neat as a pin, except for the bras hanging around the room. He tried not to gag. He had never wanted to see anything of the Weaselette's underthings and here he was faced with the lacy bras.

He pulled the wardrobe doors wide, his eyes scanning the fine clothes. His own closet was lined with much the same in his own dormitory. He pulled a steely blue button up from a hanger and laid it out on the bed. He shed his robes, pulling the white oxford from his body. He was actually relieved that he and Theo were the same size.

Stripping down to his briefs, he walked back to the wardrobe, pulling out a pair of dark grey slacks. He had to give it to his friend, the guy had more style than Draco did. The majority of Draco's clothes were all black; maybe he needed to inject more color into his life. Slipping his legs into the pants, he slid them up his legs and tucked the shirt in. He pulled the zipper up and put the button through the hole.

He slid his own belt through the loops and did up the buckle, ran his fingers through his hair, and left the room. Once in the common room, he did a little spin move and threw a smirk at Theo. "Better?"

"Much, mate. Much better. Now, you ready?" He asked and Draco nodded, heading for the doorway behind the portrait. Theo touched the brick that triggered the door to slide to the side and they both exited.

"So where are we going?" Draco asked, curious to know. Theo hadn't mentioned where they were going, so he didn't know if they were heading for Hogsmeade or just somewhere in the castle.

"You remember that secret room down by the Slytherin dorms?" He turned to look at Draco, who nodded, and then continued, "Well, I bribed the elves for some food and had them set it up there. That's where we're going."

Draco laughed softly, shaking his head. "Damn, the shite we used to get up to in that room. I can't believe it still exists." They had started their descent into the dungeons now, walking the familiar route toward the Slytherin dormitory.

About fifteen feet past the entrance to the dorms, Theo stopped at a bust of Salazar himself and muttered the password. He said it so low that Draco didn't catch it, but that was the way of the statue. You had to whisper the password. Slytherins and their secrecy.

He stepped back as the pedestal holding the bust rotated and a doorway was revealed. He gestured for Draco to enter first and once Draco was inside, Theo cursed. "Fuck. I forgot the Firewhiskey. I'll be back, mate. Just hang tight."

Draco rolled his eyes and moved farther into the room. The candles flickered, casting shadows on the walls. A table set for two was in the middle. It would have been romantic if it were set up for two people other than Theo and himself.

There was a couch in front of a small fireplace and Draco moved to take a seat. He might as well make himself comfortable; there was no telling how long Theo was going to take.

XxX

Hermione had just put the finishing touches on her hair and looked in the mirror with a smile. Ginny had taught her quite a few charms that would tame her crazy curls. Tonight, she chose to wear them in loose waves.

She had even chosen to wear a dress—her favorite one. It was a powder blue dress, stopping just below her knees. The top was tight on her bust and cinched in at the smallest part of her waist, only to flow freely from there down.

She stood from the vanity and walked over to where her shoes were, stepping into the grey pumps. She bit her lip as she looked down at the open toes; her nail polish was chipped and pink. She had to do something to fix that. So she pulled her wand free of her clutch and pointed it at her toes.

A muttered spell later, her toenails were the same color as her dress and she grinned.

Leaving her dormitory quickly, she rushed her way down the grand staircase, meeting Ginny and Theo at the head of the dungeon entrance.

Ginny grinned at her, while Theo looked a little awestruck. He was the first to speak. "You look magnificent, Hermione." She ducked her head, blushing slightly, so that she missed the triumphant look the couple shared.

"She does clean up pretty nicely when she's forced to," Ginny teased, looping her arm through Hermione's. Ginny had dressed up likewise, in a green dress. No doubt she was playing to her boyfriend's Slytherin sensibilities, as well as her red hair.

"You look beautiful too, Gin. Green has always been your color." The further into the dungeons they went, Hermione was beginning to regret the sleeveless dress. "Theo, does this room have a fireplace?"

She looked over at the wizard to see him nod with a smile. "Oh yes, it does. You will be perfectly toasty."

They had walked past the entrance to the Slytherin dorms to the bust of Salazar Slytherin. Theo leaned forward and whispered into its stone ear.

Hermione watched in wonder, moving closer as the pillar began to spin, revealing a doorway in the stone. It was dark on the other side and she was the first to step through. She heard the stones shift back into place behind her, assuming Ginny had followed her through.

She turned to face her friend, finding herself alone. A frown graced her features as she waited, thinking that maybe it closed after each person passed through.

"Damn, Theo. It took you long enough, mate." The snarky voice rang out from behind her and to the left, a place she hadn't looked yet. She whirled around, finding the back of a pale head sitting on the couch.

"I think we've been set up."

XxX

At the sound of her voice, Draco stood up and whirled around, his heart dancing in his chest as he forgot how to breathe. She was a vision in that blue dress, her hair tamed into submission for once.

He simply stared at her, unable to remember what she had just said. His hands slid into the pockets of his borrowed slacks as he drank in her beauty. The grin on his face, though, gave everything away.

After a few moments of an awkward silence, he remembered what she had said and he nodded. "Oh yes, I do believe we have been set up by our rather meddlesome friends."

Hermione shook her head, a bemused smile lifting her lips as she smoothed the skirting of her dress. "I should have known Ginny was up to something. I think Theo's Slytherin qualities are rubbing off on her. Then again, it's probably just the Weasley in her."

She started to nibble at her bottom lip, and Draco's eyes narrowed in on the action. Suddenly, he wanted to be the one to nibble on her lip.

"When we get out of here, I'm going to choke Nott. With my bare hands. No magic involved." He chuckled and Hermione's eyes snapped up to his. She tried to quickly mask the moment of hurt displayed in their depths, but he caught it.

A frown creased his brow as he quickly moved from his spot in front of the fire to her, his hands held up. "Oh, Hermione. I didn't mean that I didn't want to spend time with you, though. Actually, I've been thinking about that quite a lot this week. Wondering when we would slow down enough for me to steal a little of your time."

Hermione snapped her eyes back up to his and he could see the wheels turning behind them. "Why would you want to spend time with me?"

He stepped closer to her, a smile on his face as he looked down at her. "Isn't it obvious, Grang-Hermione?"

She shook her head, those delicate waves flowing around her shoulders. "No, I guess it's not."

He made to reach up and touch her cheek, but stopped himself, settling instead for running his fingers along her arm. He had felt the tingles of electricity earlier, when she had touched him. He longed to feel them again.

He heard her intake of breath and knew that she was feeling it too. His voice when he spoke was quiet, barely above a whisper. "I fancy you, Hermione. I have for quite some time."

Her eyes searched his face at his admission, obviously searching for the veracity of his statement. But she would find no deception. "For how long?"

He chuckled quietly. "Truthfully? I've always admired you, but I've fancied you since third year. The attraction has only grown as the years passed."

She shook her head, likely in disbelief, but it didn't bother him, because she lifted her eyes back to his. "Why have you never mentioned it before?"

He smiled at her, this time not stopping himself from caressing her cheek. "Because I was waiting on the right time to present itself. Shall we eat before it gets cold?"

His heart clenched when she leaned into his caress, as if she couldn't help herself. At the mention of food, she nodded, turning to head for the table.

He beat her there and drew her chair out for her, watching as she adjusted her dress before sitting. He helped her push the chair in before taking his own seat.

"Can I ask you something?" She asked as he lifted the lid from the serving tray. Rack of lamb and rosemary potatoes lay before them, the aroma quickly filling the air.

"Anything." He gave her another of his rare smiles as he served her.

She held her plate aloft while he filled it. She was silent for a moment, as if trying to find a way to word her inquiry. "I know why you chose to defect, to save your parents. But what ultimately made you choose, when Dumbledore offered to help you?"

Draco began to fill his own plate, pausing for a moment, contemplating how he wanted to answer her. A memory came forth and played through his mind.

"Sixth year was a very stressful year for me. I was tasked with something so much bigger than myself. I wanted to prove myself to that maniac. To prove to my father that I could be a son he could be proud of. Though, I didn't see, until I had defected, that his pride in me was something I would never achieve.

"Anyway, one night, while I was walking the corridors, trying to work out how to fix the Vanishing Cabinet, I stumbled upon you and Harry leaving the library. The two of you were in a heated argument about me. He was insistent that I was a Death Eater and you, you were adamantly defending me. Even when I didn't deserve it. You had faith in me. You believed that I still had good in me. That I was more than who I was raised to be.

"That night, on the astronomy tower, your words rang out in my mind. And that was when I chose to be a better man than my father. So, in answer to your question, you made me choose, ultimately. You were my deciding factor."

Hermione stared at him, shocked into silence. Her fork stilled in her hand, meat hanging from its tines. There were tears starting to well in her eyes and it pained Draco to see them there. He hated that he didn't know whether they were good or bad.

"Hermione, please don't cry." He leaned forward to whisk away a tear that had escaped. He quickly moved from his chair to kneel next to her when more tears fell. "Was it something I said?"

She nodded and he felt his heart starting to break, but when she spoke, he felt immediate relief. "That has to be the sweetest thing anyone has ever said. I was truly your deciding factor to switch sides?"

Draco grabbed her hands, giving them a soft squeeze before bringing her knuckles up for a kiss. "Yes. Because I knew that, even though it was probably an impossibility, the only way I'd ever have any chance to prove you right was to take Dumbledore's offer. You saved my life in more ways than one, Hermione. And I will never be able to repay you for that."

Hermione smiled down at him and it was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen. "Well, Draco, you most certainly have proven me right. And you have changed so much that you aren't even recognizable from the old you. I can't wait to get to know this you."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

" _...I can't wait to get to know this you."_

 _Did she really just say that?_ Draco thought to himself. But she obviously had; the truth of the words were swirling in her cognac eyes. "I would love for you to get to know this me, Hermione. Shall we finish our dinner?"

She nodded, the smile on her lips widening as Draco stood, returning to his seat. He lifted his fork, his eyes on her, waiting for her to do the same. If any of the etiquette his mother had taught him had stuck, it was that the man did not put the first bite into his mouth until the woman had.

Hermione looked at him curiously, her fork poised in the air. He gestured with his own for her to begin eating. His breath hitched in his chest when she laughed quietly, but put the bite of lamb into her mouth and began chewing. Her laugh was so melodious that he could listen to it endlessly. He put his own fork to his lips, taking the bite from the tines.

As he chewed, he found himself watching Hermione's mouth move while she worked over the food. He watched her jaw muscles working to chew the meat, her throat as it contracted to swallow the bite. He felt himself getting hot under his skin, the flush moving over his entire body, blood flowing south.

He diverted his eyes to his plate, his mind moving away from the current thought process to anything else.

"What did you do during your year of probation?" Hermione asked, which brought his eyes back up to hers. He sighed softly, shaking his head. "It was more like prison, without actually going to prison. But to answer your question, I spent the majority of my time hidden away in our library."

Draco watched as Hermione perked up, her eyes lighting up at the mention of his library. "You have a library in your home? As in a dedicated room, filled with books? Not just a small section of a room with shelves on the wall?" He nodded with his own amused smile. "Yes, it is actually bigger than our ballroom. Stacks of books everywhere, much like the library here. Maybe we can go and visit it one weekend."

The smile that lifted her lips was worth the trouble that it might bring with his father. He might have eventually seen the flaws in Voldemort's thinking, but years of prejudice was hard to break. "I'd really like that. I would love to see what books your family has collected throughout the years."

"Then we'll go. You just let me know when you'd like to go and we will." Draco returned to eating, a soft grin on his lips. It was quickly replaced by shock as he nearly choked at her next words.

"How about tomorrow?"

He could feel his eyes bug out of his skull as he looked at her, "Tomorrow? Are you sure?"

She nodded, pushing her plate away, clearly finished with her dinner. Her smile was still in place, calm and serene, as if she couldn't tell he was mildly panicking. Though, truth be told, she probably couldn't. "I'll have to write my mum and see if it would be okay first. Maybe Sunday would be better, so as not to put her in a bind."

"Oh, of course, I didn't think of that. Sunday would be best. Besides, I have that Advanced Runes homework due. As well as that essay for Professor Binns. I can work on those tomorrow." Her eyes drifted to the fire, watching the embers pop and flare in the hearth.

In her moment of distraction, Draco took the chance to study her profile. She truly was beautiful and he couldn't believe he had refused to see it before. Because he knew, deep within himself, that he had always known she was beautiful. He'd just refused to let himself acknowledge it.

"Would you like to dance?" he blurted out, not meaning to. He could feel his cheeks heat up as she turned to look at him questioningly.

"Dance? But Draco, there's no music."

With a grin of his own, he stood, walking over to the couch. He pulled his wand from his trouser pocket and transfigured a throw pillow into a guitar. As he glanced over at Hermione, he could see her glancing at him in curiosity. He perched himself on the arm on the couch, balancing the guitar on his knee.

Hermione came over and leaned against the back of the couch next to him with a smile. "You play?"

Draco nodded, strumming the guitar to test the tuning, and after a few tweaks, he had the sound perfect. "I do. It's one of the many things I picked up in my year of seclusion."

"You learned guitar in just a year?" she asked, sounding surprised.

He nodded as he began strumming along, just a simple song. "Yes, it's quite easy to learn guitar. Doesn't take long at all, it's improving upon what you've learned that's the hard part. Making yourself better, so you go from playing things like this, to playing like this."

His fingers moved expertly over the strings, forming chords that had been difficult for him to learn, but now came easily to him. He started to play a song of his own composition, smiling softly as he felt Hermione leaning in to watch the way his fingers moved along the frets. Once he had played the song through in its entirety, he used a bit of wandless magic to have the guitar to continue to play by itself on a continuous loop.

Draco set the guitar carefully on the couch and held his hand out to Hermione. "Now there is music. Care to dance?"

She smiled coyly at him, "You continue to surprise me, Draco." She placed her hand in his and allowed him to pull her to the empty part of the room.

The song he'd chosen was a slow song, and of course, he'd chosen it purposely. He slid his arm around Hermione's waist, pulling her closer to him. He could feel her breath hitch when he did and he smiled down at her, holding their arms aloft as he began to spin them around the space.

XxX

Hermione had been furious with Ginny at first for putting her in his situation, but not long into the evening, she had completely forgotten about the betrayal. She lost herself in the conversations with Draco and found herself completely mesmerised by him. Especially when he'd started to play the guitar—she hadn't been able to believe her eyes as she'd watched his fingers moved across the strings.

It had been some of the most beautiful music she had ever heard, and now it was on a loop and she was in his arms, dancing around the secret room in the dungeons. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest as he held her in his arms. He led her confidently as they danced, but his touches were tender.

When she dared to look up into his eyes, there was a tenderness displayed there as well, one she had never seen from him before. He pulled her arm up, releasing her hand to drape it around his neck. His hand, now free, came up to brush a stray curl behind her ear, his eyes following the movement. His voice was so quiet when he spoke that she almost missed it, "You know, when the war was over and you started dating Weasley, I thought I'd lost any chance I might have had. No matter how small that chance might have been."

Hermione wanted to double check that she'd heard that right, she didn't think her ears were working properly. Or maybe her brain was on the fritz. "A chance for what, Draco?" She linked her fingers behind his neck, straining to reach. He gently lifted her, settling her onto his toes as he slowed their movements further. The song had changed, the melody now even slower than before.

"A chance to show you how much I truly appreciate, admire and adore you." His eyes had yet to leave hers, and at his words, she felt a shiver run down her spine. Not only could she see the sincerity of his words, she could feel them as they were spoken.

"Why haven't you said anything before now?" she asked him, absentmindedly playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

His eyes closed only briefly, his forehead moving in to rest against hers for a moment. When he opened his eyes, he pulled away to look at her again. "Because it needed to be in person and I was under house arrest. I could have asked you to the manor, but I would never do that. I would never ask you to go back there. Not after what my wretched aunt did to you there. Merlin, Hermione, how I wish I'd been there. I would have stopped it, I would have saved the three of you. I would have spared you that awful marking on your arm. You're too beautiful, wonderful and amazing to have that word permanently etched into your skin."

Hermione could feel her heart squeeze in her chest, could feel her eyes well with unshed tears. It was in this moment that she knew for certain that Draco had changed. It was at this moment that she forgave him for every awful thing he had done in years past. As he rambled on about things he'd had no control over, she fisted a hand in his hair. That caused him to stop talking and she looked him straight in the eyes.

"None of that was your fault. If you were there, trying to stop it would have only gotten you killed. You did what you had to do, Draco, to save your parents and yourself. Do not place that burden on yourself. It may have been your family, but it was not you." He opened his mouth as if to argue, and without a conscious decision, Hermione leaned in and placed her lips against his, kissing him lightly.

She had caught him by surprise, she knew, because it took him several seconds to begin to kiss her back. She hadn't decided to kiss him, no, but every word he'd said had struck a chord deep within her, resonating so deeply that she'd vibrated from the inside out. He truly did care for her and she was beginning to think that he'd always had.

When he began kissing her back, her train of thought left her as her lips moved against his. His arms tightened around her waist and tucked her flush against him as her fingers ran through his hair. She felt his tongue come out and search along the seam of her lips and she parted them readily, allowing him entrance.

As their tongues danced along each other, he lifted her higher and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He walked them over to the couch, carefully moving the guitar; the music still played quietly, but fell on deaf ears. Draco laid Hermione out beneath him, their lips never parting as his hands began to explore her curves.

Hermione unwound her arms from his neck, fingers fumbling with the buttons on his shirt before remembering she was a witch. She snapped her fingers and the shirt vanished. Draco chuckled against her lips as he did the same for her dress, his lips quickly returning to hers.

Her hands trailed up and down his back, fingers moving over the muscles as his lips moved down the column of her neck. Hermione tilted her head back to give him better access, a soft moan leaving her throat. His fingers found the front clasp on her bra and unhooked it, the lacy fabric falling away. The cool air in the room pebbled her nipples even further and she undulated beneath Draco and he groaned.

Her fingers trailed around his ribs and down his stomach to his trousers, swiftly unbuckling his belt. This time she had no trouble with the button and the zipper was next. Her dainty hand slid into the open fly, cupping the growing erection behind the cotton boxers. The action rewarded her with another groan as he found her mouth again, kissing her hungrily.

His hand trailed down her stomach as she stroked him, her free hand working his pants and boxers down. He kicked them off quickly, discarding them on the floor earning a throaty laugh from Hermione as she wrapped her fingers around his girth, thumb swiping across his tip, spreading the precum around. Hermione watched as his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

XxX

Draco's hand finally reached its destination—lace covered, damp heat. Hermione arched beneath him again. He couldn't believe this was happening, but it was so very real and as he slid his hand beneath those lace knickers, he was met with a slick wetness that had another of those groans rolling up his throat. His lips placed another searing kiss across Hermione's and she moaned into his mouth.

"You are so beautiful." Draco murmured against her lips as he kissed her, pulling his hand free from her knickers to work them down her legs, only to pause and look down into her eyes. "Are you sure you want to do this, Hermione?"

She smiled up at him, her free hand coming up to stroke his cheek as her other hand tightened around his length. "I'm positive. Besides, if I know Ginny, we're going to be locked in here all night. Might as well make use of our time."

She ran her thumb nail around the ridge of his swollen head gently and he shuddered as his eyes closed involuntarily. "I just wanted to make sure—" He was cut off by another kiss from Hermione, her hand working him over.

"Now you're starting to sound like me, overthinking things, Draco. Just shut up and make love to me." She laughed softly at the slightly shocked look on his face, biting her lip as his fingers started to pull her knickers off her legs again.

Once free of the fabric, she spread her legs, wrapping her legs around his hips, her heels digging into his arse. As he looked down at her, he had another brief thought that this had to be some kind of cruel dream, until she aligned his cock with her warm, wet entrance. He leaned down and kissed her gently, slowly moving his hips forward, his length sliding through the circle of her fingers into her tight quim.

Draco groaned into her mouth, fully burying himself inside her, "You're so tight." His lips trailed down her jawline, as he let her adjust to his girth, her nails trailing down his back, no doubt leaving marks. He pulled his hips back slowly, reveling in the feeling of her tightness. The sound of her moan vibrated his ear and caused him to shudder again.

One of her hands found his and linked their fingers, Draco lifted up to look down at her and they both smiled at each other before he slowly sank his cock back into her drenched core, eliciting a moan from both of them.

Draco squeezed her hand and kept his eyes on hers as he set up a slow pace, his body rolling on top of hers, her feet helping to push him home every time. His free hand came around to find hers, linking those fingers as well, placing both of their hands above her head. "Draco, you feel so good. Just like that, yes."

He could feel when her walls were beginning to tighten, her breathing became heavier and she was having a hard time keeping her beautiful eyes open. He leaned down to kiss her gently, whispering against her lips, "Let go, Hermione. I want to feel you let go."

Hermione shuddered underneath him, a loud moan leaving her lips, his name mixed in with the random syllables. That was the last thing he heard. Her orgasm had him seeing stars. Her release milking his cock had his own orgasm fast approaching and his thrusting became erratic as he ducked his nose into her hair. Her scent was all he knew as he began to release his seed into her core, both of them squeezing each other's hands tightly as they were both lost in their pleasure.

When they came down from their high, Draco withdrew his softening length from Hermione and adjusted them on the couch, tucking Hermione against the back of the couch, pulling her against his chest, his fingers running through her hair, getting caught in the curls.

She was running her nose along his throat, her chest still heaving, heart still pounding. He could feel it against his side. She was placing little kisses along his throat now, and after a giggle, Draco became curious. "What's so funny?"

"I just never thought that I'd ever have sex with Draco Malfoy, is all. But I can definitely say, it was in the top three." She giggled again when Draco let out a snort of disgust.

"Top three? Top three? I should be number one." He would admit, he was pouting a little bit, but when she giggled again, he knew she was teasing him. "Please tell me that you've only slept with the Weasel."

He felt Hermione nod against his neck, "Yes, and as he is gay, the sex wasn't very good at all and doesn't even really count in my opinion. Plus, I just didn't want to over inflate your ego."

They both broke into laughter, only stopped when Hermione yawned and shivered, goosebumps breaking out along her skin. "We should get dressed. As much as I would love to look at your body all night, we don't know when those two devious friends of ours will show back up. And I've only slept with Pansy, by the way. Once and it was awkward as hell."

Hermione smiled up at Draco and he couldn't help himself, he leaned down and kissed her again tenderly, his hand caressing her cheek gently. "You really are so very beautiful, Hermione."

He watched as she blushed and grinned, kissing her nose before getting up and finding her clothing. Hermione sat up on the couch and Draco knelt at her feet, holding her knickers up for her. She stepped her feet into them, a grin on her face. She fixed her bra first before standing.

Draco slid her knickers up her legs, kissing his way up her thighs and across her hips before settling them into place. He then gathered her dress, stood ,and held it over her head. Hermione lifted her arms, and Draco lowered the blue dress down onto her body. When it was in place, he leaned down for a kiss. "Thank you, Draco."

"Anything for you, my lioness." He then turned to gather his own clothes, pulling them on less carefully, opting to take the belt from the loops and to leave the shirt unbuttoned and untucked. Then he waved his wand at the couch, transfiguring it into a bed, earning a grin from Hermione. "I figured if we were stuck in here tonight, we might as well be comfortable."

"You, Draco Malfoy, may just be a genius." She walked over to the bed and climbed on, collapsing onto a pillow with a sigh and a smile. Draco joined her, pulling her into his arms, tangling their legs together. She slid her fingers beneath his open shirt, tracing the scars Potter had given him. "Hey, I just noticed, we are matching tonight. We have on the same color blue."

Draco chuckled softly, his fingers playing lightly with her hair, twisting it around his fingers, his nose running along the top of her head. "We sure are, lioness. We sure are. Maybe that's the universe trying to tell us something."

He thought he heard a noise of agreement, but Hermione's breathing had deepened and her body was lax against his. He chuckled quietly and closed his eyes, letting himself drift off into his own post-coital sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

A month had passed since Theo and Ginny had tricked Hermione and Draco into their date, and Hermione still gave Ginny the cold shoulder often. She only did it to get under Ginny's skin, though. She wasn't mad at Ginny anymore. The first few days she had been, but as she and Draco became closer, Hermione's anger had ebbed away.

Hermione sat in the library, books scattered around her as she worked on an essay that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor had set. Ginny plopped down across from her with a sigh, scrubbing her face with her hand. "I really envy you right now, Hermione."

"Why's that?" She asked, without looking up from the passage she was reading through, turning to jot down a few facts.

"Not having to share a room or dorm with anyone except for Draco. It's ruining my sex life, Hermione." Ginny whined, her bottom lip poking out. She pulled out a toy broom from her pocket and watched as it took flight.

"Use the secret dungeon room." Hermione shrugged, glancing at her friend, a yawn pulled from her lips. She had been studying extra hard lately, taking advantage of her access to the library into the wee hours of the morning, and had been missing out on lots of sleep lately.

Not to mention, when she wasn't in the library, she and Draco were usually lost in each other. Whether it be talking all night, or making love, they were never far from one another. It still amazed her how quickly they had grown so attached to each other.

"We do, but all of the older Slytherins know about it. So half the time it is occupied and we can't keep alternating the unused classrooms. We'll eventually get caught. Merlin knows that's a letter my Mum doesn't need to receive, even though I'm of age. Speaking of being of age, I need to get some more contraceptive potions when we go to Hogsmeade tomorrow, don't let me forget, okay?" Ginny said, catching the toy broom and pocketing it again.

"Yeah, sure." Hermione wasn't really focused on anything Ginny was saying. She was writing the next paragraph of her essay. Ginny said her goodbye and left.

After a few moments of sitting alone, Ginny's last words began to echo through her mind. Hermione religiously took her contraceptive potions, every day at the same time, like clockwork. That hadn't changed, even on the evening she and Draco had first made love.

But as she began counting the days in her head, she closed her eyes and sank into her chair. She should have started her period a week and a half ago. "It could just be stress," she murmured to herself as she began packing up her belongings. She was going to call it an early night tonight, fix her something from their personal kitchenette and curl up on the couch.

She rose from the chair, placing her book bag on her shoulder and left the library. As she wandered the hallways on her way to her dormitory, her mind going over every scenario. She had no idea what she would do if she were pregnant. She knew for certain that she wouldn't mention it to Draco until she were absolutely certain.

There was no way she was telling Ginny, not until she couldn't hide it any longer. That's if she even was pregnant; it could all be stress. The spells were running through her head even now, the ones that were equivalent to a muggle pregnancy test. But she was too much of a wuss to actually perform them, instead she'd just wait a few more weeks.

She had been so lost in her own mind that she didn't realize she was standing in front of the portrait of the golden peacock. A frown creased her brow as she recognized a subtle change in the picture, shaking it off, her fingers lifted and she ran them down the neck of the peacock. The portrait opened and Hermione stepped through, "Draco, are you here?"

She was met with silence and sighed in relief. She hadn't been sure that she could handle a conversation with him yet without spilling what was plaguing her mind. Her feet carried her to the kitchen and she quickly heated up some broth, as that was what sounded good to her, and took it to the couch.

As she sank into the comfortable cushions, she sighed softly, closing her eyes for just a moment. Merlin, she was so very tired. Hermione opened her eyes and started to eat her broth slowly, her eyes on the fire, watching the embers burn, pop and crackle, lost in her own thoughts. After she finished the broth, she set the empty bowl aside and returned to her trancelike state, staring into the fire.

XxX

Hermione was unaware of having fallen asleep, but an hour and a half later, Draco returned from dinner in the Great Hall to find her curled up on the couch, arms wrapped around her middle, fast asleep. There was a frown marring her features, showing that even in her sleep, something was troubling her. His eyes fell on the bowl on the table next to the couch and sighed softly. She'd had broth again. That is why she hadn't come down.

He was worried about her. She was working herself into the ground lately, perhaps McGonagall's generosity of using the library whenever they pleased was a bad idea. He went over and picked up the bowl, moving it into the kitchen, cleaning it up and putting it away before moving back to the couch and watching her sleep.

There were bags under her closed eyes and her hair was bushier than normal. She inhaled deeply and let out a ragged sigh in her sleep, his name slipping from her plump lips. "I'm right here, Hermione." He ran his fingers along her temple lightly and she turned her face into his touch, a smile lifting her cheeks.

Her eyes fluttered open, sleep still clouding them as she looked up him, "Mmm hello." Draco leaned in and kissed her forehead gently, brushing her hair back. "Hello yourself, little hummingbird. Are your wings tired?"

A sleepy grin spread across her face and she nodded, adjusting herself on the couch. He moved in beside her, pulling her into his side. She relaxed with another sigh, tucking her head into his neck. "I think I've been spreading myself a bit too thin, lately."

Draco kissed her head, his hand rubbing her arm as he nodded. "Yes, I do believe you're right. You need to slow down a little. We've got the whole year before N.E.W.T.'s. You don't have to study that hard and the homework isn't that dire. There's no sense in exhausting yourself."

He felt her sigh against him, sinking further into his side. He could feel that there was something more weighing on that beautiful and brilliant mind of hers. The gears were practically screaming so loud he could hear them. "What is it, Hermione? Is there something else going on?"

Hermione shook her head, "No. Nothing else. Just running over a conversation Ginny and I had earlier. She is running low on her contraceptive potions and wanted to me to remind her to pick some more up tomorrow. I was thinking about looking up how to brew them. Just so that we could quit wasting our money on buying them and just brew them ourselves, if it's not too difficult."

Draco nodded slowly, "It really shouldn't be too hard. I'll have a look in Slughorn's books and see what he might have. I could help you brew them, we could even write my mum for help. She's quite the potions master herself."

At that Hermione sat up to look at him surprised. "What? You thought I got all my talent from Snape?" When she nodded, he chuckled.

"Yeah, I kind of did, actually," Hermione said. "But I guess it makes sense that you didn't. You were around your mother a lot more than Snape."

"I used to help my mum brew potions all the time. I've been brewing from a very young age." He twisted a curl around his finger, running his nose along her hair, inhaling her scent. "I'm pretty sure we've probably brewed some contraceptives a time or two as well. She used to sell them to some of her friends, if I remember correctly."

Hermione yawned quietly, curling her legs up to her chest, her feet moving to rest in Draco's lap. He rubbed her legs gently as he held her. "Why don't we go get in the bed, love?" He felt her nod against his chest and he hefted her onto his lap and stood. She weighed next to nothing in his arms and he frowned.

He had noticed she'd been eating a little less. "Hermione, you've got to start eating a little more." Her head lolled against his chest, her hand gripping his shirt gently, "I just haven't had much of an appetite lately, and broth sounded lov...ely."

Her speech was becoming slurred as she started drifting to sleep just as he opened the door to his room in their dormitory. He laid her down in the bed and bent down to take off her shoes. "You've been eating a lot of broth lately."

Hermione turned and curled on her side, her eyes sliding closed yet again, already half asleep. "It's the only thing that doesn't make me feel like vomiting." The comment made Draco frown, he was just about to suggest taking her to the hospital wing when she let out a light snore. He closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He'd make her promise to go tomorrow.

For now, he stripped and climbed into bed behind her, worrying that she was making herself sick by working herself so hard. As he pulled her into his chest, he kissed along her clothed shoulder. "If you don't take care of yourself, Hermione, I will. You're too important to run yourself into the ground." He closed his eyes and drifted off into an uneasy sleep, worry clouding his mind.

XxX

"Draco, I really don't need to go to the hospital wing. I was just exhausted, really." Hermione said as she dressed to go to Hogsmeade. Draco was pacing the floor at the foot of her bed. "Hermione, please, for me, just go. All you've been eating is broth. You said last night that it's the only thing that doesn't make you feel like vomiting."

Hermione stopped in the midst of buttoning her muggle jeans. "I said that?" She looked at Draco as he nodded. "Yeah, you were half asleep last night when you did." _Shite_ , Hermione thought, she'd hoped to keep that little ditty to herself.

"I'm sure it's probably just some stomach bug, Draco. Truly, I'm fine. I feel perfectly well this morning." He didn't look convinced at her placating tone, but she was honestly telling the truth. She did feel well this morning and was excited to go to Hogsmeade and spend the day with Ginny. Harry and Ron were coming as well and she couldn't explain the joy at seeing her two best friends.

"Will you please just go and let her check you out? It will ease my mind. Please." Draco's grey eyes were pleading with her and it broke her heart to see such worry in their depths that she relented. "Okay, fine. I will stop by on my way to meet up with Ginny. What are you going to do today?"

He nodded with a smile. "Thank you, Hermione. Thank you so much. I'm going to look through Slughorn's books first, then Theo and I are going to come down to Hogsmeade and see what trouble we can get into."

She felt his eyes on her and heard his sigh. "What, Draco?"

"Those pants are almost falling off of you, Hermione. I'm glad you are going to see Madam Pomfrey." Hermione walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I want to alleviate your worries, Draco. If I'm to stop by there first, I do need to go, though."

She lifted up on her toes and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. He returned her kiss and squeezed his arms around her waist. "Have fun today, Hermione. I'll see you tonight."

"You have fun too, Draco." She threw a wave over her shoulder as she left her room and the dormitory. The walk to the hospital wing was a quick one and as she entered, she sent a silent thanks to Merlin that it was devoid of other students.

Her shoes clicked on the stone floor as she walked in and Madam Pomfrey appeared out of her office with a gentle smile on her face, "What can I do for you, Miss Granger?"

"I haven't been feeling too well, Madam Pomfrey." Hermione said, giving a soft smile to the mediwitch.

"And what are your symptoms, dear?" She asked, gesturing for Hermione to lay on one of the cots. Hermione complied and swallowed thickly before she began to list off her symptoms, carefully omitting the most obvious one.

"I have been extremely tired lately and the only thing that doesn't make me feel like vomiting is broth. I've lost weight, these jeans aren't normally this big. I tend to get nauseous at times." She trailed off, watching as Madam Pomfrey pulled out her wand out of her robes.

"I'm just going to do some diagnosing spells, dear. Just lay back and relax." Hermione relaxed back onto the pillows, her eyes following the wand in the older witch's hand. A soft white light began to glow from the tip of her wand as she ran her spells. Hermione had a general knowledge of spells like these and knew that if the spell found something the light would change colors depending on the illness.

Madam Pomfrey began at her head and worked her way down Hermione's body slowly, the light remaining white the entire time. Until it reached the dip between her hipbones, where the white light slowly began to change and shift colors to a mint green color. The mediwitch quickly glanced up at Hermione for a moment, shock evident on her face before she continued with the spell, moving down her legs.

Once the spell was complete, Madam Pomfrey straightened her stance and kept her eyes averted from Hermione. "It would appear that you are pregnant, Miss Granger. Though that was not a pregnancy detecting spell. I could perform one for you, if you would wish, to know for sure."

Hermione's mouth had gone dry, preventing her from answering verbally, so she nodded in response. She watched as Madam Pomfrey raised her wand and silently cast the spell. Hermione's eyes dropped to her stomach as the spell took effect, a soft yellow light beginning to emanate from within. There it was, the proof that her contraceptive potion had failed. She was definitely pregnant. How in Merlin's green Earth was she going to tell Draco?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Hermione left the hospital wing in complete shock, with instructions from Madam Pomfrey to come back after she returned from Hogsmeade for a full checkup. The mediwitch would begin brewing up some nausea potions for her, as well as prenatal potions. The woman had tutted her tongue when Hermione had told her that her contraceptive potion had failed. "Must've been an out of date dosage, then," she'd said.

Hermione had silently agreed. She made it to the Gryffindor dorms, letting herself in with the password, and smiled softly at the younger students gathered in the common room. She walked to the staircase and climbed to the correct dorm room, opening the door without knocking.

Ginny was sitting on her bed, tying her sneakers. She looked up when she heard Hermione enter, "Hey, Hermione. Woah, you're white as a sheet. Are you okay?"

Hermione nodded mechanically, her eyes not really focusing on anything. "Yeah, just haven't been feeling well. I just came from the hospital wing and took a potion from Madam Pomfrey, just a side effect from it. I'll be fine." She smiled to try and drive home her point. The lie tasted bitter in her mouth, but she couldn't tell anyone. Not yet. Just the thought of telling Draco made her want to vomit.

"If you say so, Hermione." Ginny stood from her bed with a smile. "You ready to go? I'm sure the boys are waiting on us already." Hermione nodded, pulling a smile up on her face, trying to push her shock to the back of her mind.

Twenty minutes later, they found themselves in The Three Broomsticks, looking around the crowded pub for Harry and Ron. When Hermione spotted the head of messy jet black hair, she made a beeline through the crowd. "Harry!"

Her bespectacled friend stood up and turned around to find her running towards him. His arms spread wide and she rushed into them, burying her face in his chest and breathing his familiar and comforting scent in deeply. It took every fiber of her strength to not burst into sobs in his arms.

He squeezed her, his arms enveloping her and held her tightly. Harry always seemed to know when she needed him the most and she could feel it in his hug that he knew now. As she pulled away, he smiled down at her. "It's good to see you, Hermione." His words said one thing, but his eyes held another question. _Are you okay?_

Hermione nodded at him, giving him the best attempt at a smile she could manage. "It's great to see you, Harry. How is training going?" She glanced over at Ron, including him in the question, moving to give him a hug as well.

"Training is so hard." Ron complained, whining into his butterbeer. He only stopped when he spotted Justin, jumping up to go and wrap him in his arms. Hermione watched the loving display with the first genuine smile on her face since she'd left Draco this morning.

"He really hates being away from Justin the most, I think." Harry said into her ear. She smiled up at him as he turned to greet Ginny. "Hey Gin. How are you?"

"I'm great, Harry. How is training going? Since all we got was whining from my dear brother." Ginny sat down, grabbing her brother's abandoned butterbeer. Harry and Hermione took seats next to each other, Hermione leaning into her best friend. He draped his arm around her shoulders and looked at Ginny.

Hermione's heart broke for him, she could see the longing in his eyes. He didn't know about Theo. "Training is grueling and difficult, but it will be worth it in the long run. I don't know if Ron will finish training or not. As I said, he hates being away from Justin and becoming a full fledged auror is only going to increase that. I don't think he's realized that. How is school going for you two?"

"I'll be glad when it's over, honestly. The Harpies have been contacting me about coming to play when I graduate." Hermione blinked at that news, she hadn't known that. But then again, she and Ginny hadn't been talking much lately.

"I've been tiring myself out trying to study and get everything done early. I had to go by Madam Pomfrey this morning and get a potion. So I'm going to be doing some cutting back. But other than that it's going great." Hermione said, resting her head on Harry's shoulder.

"And how are things going with Draco?" Harry asked. She could hear the little bit of hesitancy in his voice. She'd told Harry about him a couple of weeks ago, "Things are going great. He's as sweet as ever. He's the one that actually made me go to the hospital wing."

Harry nodded, approving of Draco's actions. "That's great, truly. I'm glad to hear it." He turned his gaze back onto Ginny, who was busy watching her brother and Justin across the pub. Harry's green eyes were sad and longing and Hermione couldn't take it. "Hey Harry, could you go and get me some water? I'm thirsty."

"Sure. You don't want a butterbeer, though?" He asked, looking at her. She shook her head with a smile. "No, probably best not to mix it with that potion that Madam Pomfrey gave me."

Harry nodded with a smile, "Oh, that's right. Okay, I'll be right back."

When he'd left, Hermione looked over at Ginny, "Gin. You've got to tell him about you and Theo. He's still pining after you and it's not right." Ginny turned her eyes to Hermione and sighed sadly. "I know, Hermione. Theo tells me all the time we need to tell my family and Harry. I'm just scared what everyone will think."

Hermione stared at her friend, "Since when do you care what anyone thinks? Ginny, if Theo makes you happy, that's all that matters. No one else gets a say, not even your parents. You are putting Harry through hell and he deserves better than that."

Ginny nodded, a frown creasing her brow as her gaze returned to her brother and his public displays of affection toward his boyfriend and Hermione continued. "Until you let people know, you are denied what Ron and Justin have, Ginny. How do you think that makes Theo feel?"

Hermione turned and saw Harry returning and went quiet, smiling up at him when he handed over her water. "Thank you, Harry." She started drinking her water, guzzling it quickly, not realizing how thirsty she had been.

"Harry, I have something I need to tell you." Ginny spoke up, tearing her eyes away from her brother. Harry frowned and Hermione made to get up but Ginny shook her head and took a deep breath. "I know that you still have feelings for me and I will always love you. You were my first crush, my first love, and that is always special. But I have been dating Theo Nott since just before the final battle at Hogwarts. And I am so very happy."

Hermione could feel Harry deflate beside her, his green eyes dropping to the table, finger picking at a knot in the wood. "I understand and am so glad to hear that you are happy." Harry swallowed thickly, his eyes still downcast.

"I'm terribly sorry, Harry. I hope you find someone to make you as happy as I am." She rose, moving over to give him a hug. He returned the hug, his eyes saddened. When Ginny straightened, she gave him a sad smile. "I'm going to go and catch up with my brother. I'll see you around. Hermione, whenever you're ready, just come get me."

Hermione nodded at Ginny and watched her leave, before returning her attention to her best friend. "You knew, didn't you?" He asked her and Hermione nodded. "But I found out because of Draco, on the train. And even then he only said something as a joke and Ginny blushed like a tomato. I was shocked that she had kept it from everyone. But on the other hand, she was scared what everyone would think."

Harry looked at her shocked and Hermione nodded. "It's what she just said, while you were getting my water. He was almost a Death Eater, Harry. He would have been had he followed in his father's and Draco's footsteps. Not many people would take too kindly to that, even if he did help Dumbledore's Army and the Order."

"I suppose you're right." Hermione's eyes wandered the pub, watching the various patrons for a few minutes as Harry sat, stewing quietly. "Hermione?"

"Hmm?" She turned her attention back to Harry, his eyes full of concern. "What's really wrong? I know you probably are running yourself into the ground, but I also know you better than that. Spill it."

Hermione's eyes began to brim with tears and she started to blink rapidly. The lump formed in her throat quickly, making it hard to speak. "I told you about Ginny setting me up with Draco. Well, it was actually a dual effort on Ginny and Theo's parts. We had a wonderful evening, just as I told you. Except I left out a very major detail."

As she went silent, Harry's eyes came to life with an understanding, "You and Draco had sex." Hermione nodded and started to play with the empty glass in front of her, her palms sweating as she tried to work up the courage to tell Harry what Madam Pomfrey had told her. "You're pregnant, aren't you?"

The tears came unwillingly and Hermione hunched over on herself, arms wrapping around her torso. She felt Harry wrap his arms around her as she cried. "M-my c-cont-tracep-ptive p-p-potion f-failed."

"Gods, Hermione. I'm sorry. When did you find out?" When she went to stutter through the word again, Harry interrupted her, "Today?" She nodded, leaning into him, trying to keep her sobs quiet.

"And you haven't told Draco? Or anyone else yet?" She shook her head, wiping at her nose with the back of her hand, trying to stifle her sobs. When she finally succeeded and sat up, she used a napkin to wipe at her eyes.

"I don't know what I'm going to do, Harry. I don't know how to be a mum. I really have no idea how to tell Draco. We haven't even talked about our future yet. We've only been dating a few weeks. I have strong feelings for him, which are quickly blossoming into more. But that's years down the line. This baby will be here in nine months." She was starting to hyperventilate and Harry started to rub her back in soothing circles.

"First things first, I think you should tell Draco as soon as possible. It's something you both need to discuss, together. After all, he is the father and he deserves to be involved in any decisions you make." Harry leaned in and kissed her temple as Hermione shuddered at the thought of telling Draco.

"I know, Harry. I'm just nervous of his reaction. What if he doesn't want children? What if he wanted to wait?" Hermione started to tear her napkin into pieces.

"Best laid plans and all that, Hermione. You know as well as I do what planning can sometimes get you. I'm just an owl away if you need me for anything. But trust me when I say, he'll want to know sooner rather than later." At that, his eyes drifted over to Ginny, until his line of vision was blocked by a set of curvy hips and long slender legs.

"Hey Potter, Granger. Mind if I join you?"

Hermione looked up into the face of Pansy Parkinson, slightly shocked and nodded, gesturing to the chair. "Sure, go ahead." She swiped her fingers under her eyes again when Pansy wasn't looking and sighed softly. "What can we do for you?"

"Actually, I just wanted to talk to Potter, Harry, I mean." Hermione blinked, sharing a bewildered look with Harry.

"Well, here I am, Park-, urm, Pansy. You have my attention." Pansy gave Hermione a glance and Hermione was surprised at the lack of the venom in the look. Hermione knew when she wasn't wanted though and could see no malice or foul play in the Slytherin's eyes and nodded. "Harry, I'm going to go and get Ginny, we need to get moving and do our shopping. And I need to get back to the castle as soon as possible anyway."

Harry must have picked up on her hint because he nodded up at her, rising to give her a hug. "Remember, sooner rather than later, and I'm an owl away, Hermione." Hermione nodded at Harry, kissed his cheek and gave Pansy a nod and smile before heading for Ginny.

XxX

Draco had found a couple of potions in Slughorn's books, copied them down and went to find Theo. It wasn't hard to find his fellow Slytherin. He was in his dorm, reading a book. They left for Hogsmeade, immediately heading for The Three Broomsticks and claiming a table in the back.

From his vantage point he had been able to watch everything that had went down between the Golden Trio and the Weaselette, as had Theo. They didn't know that he and Theo were back here. When Potter and Hermione were left alone and his witch had started sobbing uncontrollably, Theo had had to hold him back from running over to her.

He was worried that Madam Pomfrey had found something terribly wrong with her and she hadn't told him yet. Hermione meant so much to him that it terrified him to think of a world without her in it. And with the amount of dark curses she had been subjected to, they could have done irreparable damage.

Draco had seen it too many times to count before he'd gotten himself away from Voldemort. When Hermione left with Ginny, he wanted to follow, but again, Theo held him in place. "Mate, just wait until you both get back to the castle. She will tell you what Pomfrey said on her own time. Whatever she was telling Potter was probably unrelated, just releasing stress about her classes. He is her best friend after all. What we should be worried about right now is what Parkinson wants with wee Potty."

Grey eyes turned back to the table Hermione had occupied and found Potter and Pansy locked in conversation. His former girlfriend was leaning across the table, her hand on her neck as she propped herself on her elbow. She was talking animatedly, her free hand moving through the air. Potter looked as if he was genuinely enjoying himself, replying to whatever Pansy had said, laughing and nodding.

Draco was truly surprised, to be honest. Pansy had always made her distaste for Potter and the trio known, but then again, so had he and he'd been pining after Hermione since around third year. Maybe the same was true for Pansy. She had fled when the second wizarding war broke out, opting to hide instead of join a side.

After an hour or so, the dark-haired pair rose from the table and left the pub, apparently opting to walk the streets of Hogsmeade. Draco finished the rest of his firewhiskey, and stood, looking down at Theo. "I'm going to the apothecary then back to the castle. You staying here a bit longer?"

Theo nodded, his eyes trained on his girlfriend's brother. "Yeah, I'm about to do something that'll potentially get me castrated by one sibling and hexed by the other."

Draco chuckled, because he knew exactly what Theo meant. His friend was about to go and tell the Weasel about himself and his sister, likely against the Weaselette's wishes. "Good luck with that, mate. I hope to see you back at the castle intact and alive." They clasped hands for a brief moment and Draco left, heading for the apothecary.

He walked inside and stopped quickly, hearing Hermione's voice, talking to Ginny. "You did the right thing by telling him, Ginny. Now he can let go and move on. Oh, here they are."

Draco moved to the aisle he needed, gathering the potion ingredients on his list, still listening in. He heard Ginny say, "I know, Hermione. Now it's just time to tell the rest of the family about Theo. Do you need anymore of the contraceptive potions?"

He glanced over the top of the aisle in time to see Hermione shake her head, "Nope, I'm good on them. If that's all you need,we can go." Draco turned his back, pulling a few more ingredients down. "Draco?"

He turned around and smiled softly at his witch. "Oh, hello, my love."

Hermione smiled at him, walking over to give him a kiss. "Hello, did you just come in?" Draco nodded and showed her the few ingredients he had. "Yeah, just gathering those potion ingredients we talked about this morning."

"Where's Theo?" Ginny asked, coming over into the same aisle.

"I do believe he said he was about to do something stupid over in the Three Broomsticks," Draco said offhandedly, Ginny's eyes widened in fear as she remembered that Ron was still there. She shoved some money at Hermione, as well as the contraceptive potions, and ran out the door, yelling, "That insufferable git!"

XxX

Hermione looked up at him with wide eyes. "What was he going to do?" Draco grinned down at her as he continued to move about the store, collecting the ingredients. "He was going to tell Weasley about him and Ginny."

She shook her head, laughing quietly. "I told her she needed to tell her family. No one wants to be hidden away." Draco looked over at her with a smile, "That is true. What did Madam Pomfrey say?"

Thankfully, Draco had turned away to reach up on a high shelf for an ingredient and didn't see Hermione stiffen. "She just said that it was exhaustion and gave me a Pepper-Up potion. No big deal. I feel loads better."

Draco looked down at her, eyes roaming over her, checking her for any signs of illness. But she did feel better right now, especially after having unloaded her secret to someone. "Well, I'm glad that's all it was, you really had me worried. Are you going to eat in the Great Hall tonight?"

"I'm not sure. Madam Pomfrey wanted me to come back by and see how the Pepper-Up was doing when I got back. I'll see you when we get done." Draco led her to the counter to pay for their things, conversation ceasing for the moment.

If Hermione had thought lying to Ginny had left a bitter taste in her mouth, it was nothing compared to what lying to Draco felt like. The whole thing had her stomach wanting to drop out of her arse and her heart squeezing painfully in her chest. But she couldn't tell him here, in the middle of a public place. No, she'd have to tell them back at the castle, in their dormitory, their home.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Draco didn't know what was going on with Hermione, but something was certainly off. She was eating better, gaining the weight she'd lost back, but she was quieter than normal and more distant. They still slept in the same bed every night, still made love, but things were different and it was bothering him.

It had been a month and a half since she'd been to see Madam Pomfrey and she had since stopped having late nights. But she still avoided the Great Hall for most meals, especially breakfast. He'd tried to question her about it, but she avoided his questions. Tonight they were meeting up in the secret dungeon room for dinner.

Hermione seemed nervous about it, but Draco hadn't a clue why. He glanced over at her now, as they were sitting in their last class of the week and she was taking notes, paying more attention than he was. She must have felt him staring, because she looked over and smiled softly at him before turning her attention back to her notes.

When the class was dismissed, Hermione started to pack her bag up. "I'll see you in two hours, okay?"

Draco nodded, a little saddened that he'd be getting himself ready in Theo's bedroom yet again. He'd wanted to spend the time with Hermione, to try and get her out of whatever funk she was in. But Hermione had made him promise that he'd stay with Theo until they met up in the dungeon room.

Before she could turn away, he caught her chin, tilting her head up for a kiss. She met his lips willingly, her eyes closing as her arm slipped around his neck. He could feel the swirling emotions behind the kiss and it gave him mixed emotions, but he could still feel the electricity there. "I'll see you soon."

He watched as she left, taking a deep, steadying breath. When she was gone, he proceeded to the eighth-year dorms, letting himself in with the password. He knocked on Theo's door and was let in by his friend, who frowned at the worry lines etched on the blond's face. "Mate, you look terrible."

Theo stepped aside and Draco moved into his room, pacing the small space. "What if she decides I'm not what she wanted and that's what this is about?"

He could feel those cerulean eyes on him as he moved back and forth. "Mate, I doubt she'd go through all this trouble just to break up with you. Plus, you're still sleeping together, right?" At Draco's nod, he continued, "So, that isn't what's happening. Just try to relax, take a few shots of firewhiskey and a nice hot shower."

Theo moved over to a bureau, his back to Draco and poured up two tumblers of firewhiskey, bringing them both over to his friend. "Here, drink up." As Draco downed first one, then the other, the flavor of the firewhiskey hid the dose of calming draught his friend had dropped into one of them.

"Now, go and take that shower, mate, and just calm yourself down. You don't want to work yourself up over nothing." Theo shoved him toward the ensuite bathroom and Draco stumbled in, undressing himself and stepping into the shower once the water had warmed up.

XxX

Hermione stood in front of her wardrobe, staring at the selecting of clothing in front of her. She had been trying to decide what to wear for an hour already. Her eyes left the items of clothing on the hangers and turned to the full-length mirror to her right, then dropped to her flat stomach.

She was seeing Madam Pomfrey weekly for right now, just to keep her nausea and appetite under control. Madam Pomfrey had also done a couple of more spells and now Hermione knew her due date. The baby would be here around the end of May and she was 10 weeks pregnant, only barely starting to show.

Draco had noticed that she'd put on weight, but he'd just chalked it up to her gaining the weight back that she'd lost. And she had gained it back, plus about eight more pounds. She ran her hand over the small little bump, watching in the mirror. She was nervous as hell about tonight. She was finally going to tell Draco her secret. She had decided on the dungeon room where they had made love and conceived their little miracle.

For that's what this baby was, a miracle. It had been conceived even though she had taken precautions against exactly that. In the spirit of that night, Hermione pulled out the blue dress once again. She had thirty minutes to get down to the dungeon, so she pulled on the dress and slid into a pair of flats this time.

Her makeup and hair already done, she left her room and the dormitory, pausing to turn and look back at the portrait. It truly changed to reflect the inhabitants, and Draco had been right. The peacock represented him, the golden color represented her, and now, the egg in the nest just to the side of the elegant bird represented their unborn child.

With tears welling in her eyes, she turned away and made her way to the dungeons, past the Slytherin dorms, leaning into the bust of Salazar Slytherin and whispering into his ear, "Bowtruckle."

The stone door slid back and she stepped through the black shroud into the dimly lit room. Draco was standing in front of the fire, facing its flames, his hands in his pockets. She smiled a small smile. He, too, had chosen to wear the same outfit as the first night. "Hello, Draco."

He turned to smile at her, "Hello, love. You still look stunning in that dress." He walked over to her and leaned down to kiss her tenderly. She rested her hands on his chest and kissed him back. She intended on waiting until after they ate to tell him, but her stomach was too knotted to be able to eat anything.

"And that color blue brings out your eyes and makes you even more handsome." Her hands came up to stroke his face for a moment before she sat down on the couch. He joined her, his body turned towards her with a smile. "Are you not ready to eat yet?"

Hermione shook her head with a smile, "No, not yet. My stomach is in knots. I've got something to tell you, Draco." She watched as a frown broke through his calm facade, and she grabbed his hands and squeezed them. "Firstly, you are so very important to me and it still baffles me how quickly I've become so attached to you."

She released his hands and pulled a set of pictures from a pocket she'd added to the dress. Last weekend, she'd went to visit her parents alone, and while visiting, she went to see a Muggle doctor. She'd wanted a second opinion, even though she'd known that Madam Pomfrey was right. She'd also wanted Draco to have visual proof, something he could see with his eyes.

Hermione hoped that it would ease the shock and the hurdles before them now. Taking a deep breath, she handed him the pictures, knowing he wouldn't know what they were and would ask questions. Sure enough, after a few moments of silence and looking at the five pictures, he turned to her and asked, "What is this?"

Another steadying breath and Hermione began to speak, "Our night in this room was beyond amazing and beautiful. It was something I never expected to happen and I would never take it back. You have made my life so much better the last three months and I know that I have been distant the last few weeks. I've just had a lot on my mind. We both know, from working on that contraception potion, how difficult they can be.

"It can be very easy for a batch to go bad, or a bad ingredient to get thrown in. You know how faithful I am with my own contraceptive potions, you've watched me take them every day. Except for the last five weeks." At his confused look, Hermione smiled softly and nodded.

"I know, you thought you saw me taking them. In reality, it was a similarly colored potion that helps with nausea and my appetite. Draco, one of my contraceptive potions failed on our first night together. It was a bad batch, I guess, because I took it that morning at seven exactly, just as I always do."

She paused, her eyes on the blonde sitting next to her, his eyes searching her face before returning to the pictures in his hand. "What are you-are you saying that-are you pregnant? Is this some kind of Muggle picture of a baby?"

The shock was evident in his tone, but she couldn't tell if it was a good thing or a bad thing. She swallowed around the lump in her throat as she looked down at the picture in his slender fingers. The glossy paper was shaking, as his hand and body were trembling. She could feel the vibrations through the couch.

"Yes, I am pregnant. Those are pictures of _our_ baby." Hermione swallowed again, the urge to vomit sliding up her throat and she choked it down, swallowing over and over quickly. She still couldn't gauge his reaction and it scared her. Especially as he went silent and the sound of the silence stretched out and rang in her ears as loud as a cannon.

She couldn't hold it back anymore, she transfigured the nearest pillow into a rubbish bin and bent over it, vomiting right into it, her stomach heaving.

XxX

The retching next to him jerked him out of his surprised shock, he grabbed Hermione's hair quickly, pulling it away from her face and rubbed her back, frowning deeply. Another round of vomiting overtook her and he felt terrible that he didn't know what to do.

A few minutes later, she recovered, collapsing back into the couch. He summoned a napkin from the table and wiped the sweat away from her brow, then wiped her mouth gently. "You're really carrying our baby?"

She nodded with her eyes closed and the incandescent joy he'd just started to feel when she'd started vomiting returned. His lips spread into a wide smile, his gaze returning to the pictures he'd laid on the couch. "Can you tell me what I'm looking at here? It just looks like some kind of bean with two little twigs or something sticking up."

He turned to look at Hermione and the smile that lit up her face took his breath away. It was as if all her worries had melted away and he immediately knew why she had been so distant lately. She had been scared of his reaction. He relaxed back into the couch next to her, maneuvering his arm under her head and pulling her close to him.

She moved to snuggle into his side, her hand coming up, finger moving to lovingly caress the picture. "I guess you're right, our little miracle does look a little like a bean." Her slender finger moved over the right end of the bean, tracing the biggest bulbous end. "This right here is the baby's head. So this little twig, as you called it, is an arm and the other is a leg. And this end is its little bum."

Draco's vision began to get wavy as he looked at each picture, all from different angles, but kept coming back to the profile. He couldn't believe that this was real, but he was beyond happy. He sat up, looking down at Hermione, reaching up to cradle her face. "Thank you so very much for this beautiful gift. This is beyond my wildest dreams and I couldn't think of a better woman to mother my children. And I want you to know that I love you, Hermione, with all that I am. And this is sudden and I don't have a ring, but-"

He slipped from the couch and got down onto one knee, taking her hands into his. "I can't imagine my life without you. I really can't. Especially not now. Not to mention, my mum would kill me if I didn't do the right thing. Not only is this the right thing, but this is what I've seen as my future for the last month. Hermione Jean Granger, we're doing this all backwards, but will you marry me?"

XxX

She couldn't help it, she'd started to tear up the moment he'd asked her to describe what he was looking at. When he thanked her for giving him the gift of their child, the tears began to slip free. Then came his proclamation of love and the tears got bigger, by the time he launched into his proposal, she was full out sobbing.

When the question slipped from his lips, she was so humbled and awed that she was having trouble breathing. She pulled her trembling bottom lip between her teeth as she pulled her hands from his and placed them on his face. She took a steadying breath and managed to speak clearly through the sobs. "I would be honored to be your wife."

Draco lunged forward and covered Hermione's lips with his own and she kissed him back with fervor, her arms sliding around his neck. After a few minutes, they broke apart and she smiled at him, her fingers playing with the hair at the base of his neck. "And I love you, too."

She watched as he sat back on his heels, his hands moving to rest on her hips, a wide grin spreading across his lips. "What?" Hermione asked, grinning back.

One of his large hands moved, fingers splayed out to rest on her lower stomach, "Our baby is in here." His grin was so infectious and adorable and Hermione nodded. "Yes, it's really tiny, about the size of a strawberry. It's also why I've been so tired, a little moody every now and then. Why I would only eat broth. Also why my breasts have seemed bigger and why my belly has a slight rounding to it."

His eyes were on her stomach, rubbing gently over the little swell and he grinned up at her for a moment. "I just can't believe it. I am so happy. When do we find out the sex? It'll probably be a boy, all Malfoy firstborns have been boys for the last century." She watched as he appeared to chew on the inside of his lip in thought.

"The muggle doctor said not until around eighteen weeks, but we could probably do the spell sooner. The muggle doctor does it with the pictures, though, like we have here, and you can hear the heartbeat. Actually, I asked Madam Pomfrey for a spell for that." Hermione grinned wide, pulling her wand from her hair, pointing it at her stomach and recited the spell.

After a moment, the rapid sound of the heartbeat filled the room, sounding like hummingbird wings, and she watched as Draco's facial expressions changed from happiness to awe, his eyes brimming with tears. The words leaving his lips sounded like a praise. "My little hummingbird." Hermione ran her free hand through his hair as he lowered his lips to her stomach, resting them there as the heartbeat continued to flutter around them.

As the spell wore off, Draco sat up and looked at her with bright eyes, smiling softly. "You said eighteen weeks, what are you at now?"

"I'm at a little over ten now." She smiled at him and gestured for him to join her back on the couch again. He obliged her and pulled her close. "When do you go back to that Muggle doctor? I want to go with you and watch them do their picture thing."

Hermione giggled softly, resting her head on his chest. "I am going back in two weeks. I will be entering my second trimester and they want to do their check up for that. But over Christmas break we will go to St. Mungo's and find a Healer. My due date is tentatively May 27th and I will have to Floo from here to there. Because I will finish my schooling."

She could feel Draco's chuckle vibrating under her ear, "Of course you will. We will have to go and talk to McGonagall, because I'm assuming you haven't told her yet." Hermione shook her head and sighed softly. "No, I haven't. I've only told you and Harry. But Professor McGonagall will need to be made aware, as will all of the other professors, so that when it comes time, they will understand. Professor McGonagall can add St. Mungo's to all the fireplaces."

"We also need to tell our parents. What about the wedding? Do you want to do that before or after the baby is born?" Draco asked and Hermione blew air into her cheeks before releasing it.

"Merlin, I didn't even think about that. I want to be married before the baby comes, so that he or she is born into a proper family. Perhaps we can do a small ceremony over Christmas? My family, yours and whatever friends we want to come?" Hermione began to chew on her bottom lip, thinking of all the things they would now need to do.

"My mum will throw a fit over a small ceremony, but if we let her plan it, I think that would appease her. Would you be willing to have it at the Manor?" He asked quietly, kissing the top of her head.

Hermione thought about it for a moment and nodded, "If we can have it in the library."

Draco barked out a laugh, but nodded against her head, "Deal. So, when do we inform our parents?" Hermione swallowed thickly, closing her eyes. "I suppose we can go to your parents next weekend and when we go for the muggle doctor the following weekend, we can stop by mine."

"Sounds like a plan, love." Draco said, rubbing her arm gently. Hermione's stomach let out a rumble and Draco sat up to grab the rubbish bin but she stopped him. "No, I'm not going to be sick again. I'm just finally hungry. I was so nervous that I couldn't eat and when I didn't know how you were going to react, the nausea overwhelmed me."

He set the bin down, pulling his wand free, casting a quick _Scourgify_ on it and smiled over at her. "Well, let's go get my loves some food." He stood, holding his hand out for her. Hermione slid her hand in his and stood, walking with him to the table.

She'd gotten the house elves to prepare some barely seasoned chicken, potatoes and the one weird craving she had, pickled radishes. She had never liked pickled radishes, but apparently, that was what the baby wanted. Draco's nose turned up at the sight of them and she laughed, "I know, but get ready for some crazy cravings. This is just the beginning, apparently." He pulled out her chair, helping her to sit, before taking his own. "Let's just hope you don't crave anything too off the wall or I'll think you've gone off your rocker."

Hermione laughed loudly, her hand dropping to her stomach to rub it in gentle circles. "Get ready to think that, because there is also apparently such a thing as pregnancy brain, which makes you forget all kinds of things. I won't be your swotty little know-it-all for a little bit." His shocked silence had her laughing well into their dinner.

XxX

Hours later, Draco was holding Hermione in their bed, her back pressed against his chest as his hands rested on her stomach. There was nothing that could douse his happiness in this moment. He had never imagined his life taking this turn, but he wouldn't trade anything for it. He had everything he ever wanted right here in his arms.

No matter what anyone said in the coming months and years, Hermione was his forever. She and their child were the only things that mattered to him. He kissed her neck gently as he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Hermione and Draco had agreed not to tell anyone else about the pregnancy or engagement just yet. They wanted to keep the happiness to themselves for just a while longer. However, they did, the next morning, go and inform Professor McGonagall. As they ascended the spiral staircase to her office, Hermione kept wringing her hands.

She knew she would likely face disappointment from some of the people in her life, and she assumed Professor McGonagall would be one of them. Hermione watched in a bit of a daze as Draco knocked on the wooden door to the office. She never heard the answer on the other side of the door, but Draco must have because he opened the door and led her in.

After they took he seats they had occupied just a few months before, Hermione was struck by just how much things had changed. "To what do I owe this pleasure, Miss Granger? Mister Malfoy?"

Hermione, for once in her life, was struck speechless. She had opened her mouth to speak but no words came out and her eyes turned to her favorite headmaster, finding those periwinkle eyes looking at her with a love she hadn't seen in over two years. "My dear, sweet, smart Hermione. The cat has gone and got your tongue." At that line, the portrait of Dumbledore chuckled, his eyes darting to his successor.

Professor McGonagall fought the smile that threatened to appear on her face. "You can rest assured that while you are frightened of what she will say, she will be diplomatic and understanding. Will you not, Minerva?" The witch in question gave the old headmaster one of her pointed looks but nodded.

For the first time since leaving their dorm, Hermione took a deep breath. Her eyes filled with tears as Dumbledore returned his gaze to her and smiled his warm smile, for once, choosing to stay awake and intent on what was happening in the office. "Draco and I have something we need to tell you, so that you will be aware and able to make the necessary arrangements."

Professor McGonagall, the very opposite of the white-haired, half-moon spectacled man in the portrait, sat ramrod straight in her chair, whereas Dumbledore would have relaxed back into his. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"First, I want you to know, this was never in my plans. Though now, I wouldn't trade it for anything." At this, she paused and smiled over at Draco. When she turned back to her favorite professor, her cheeks began to bloom with a blush as she started to tell their story. "Almost three months ago, Draco and I were tricked into a date by a couple of friends. We had dinner, we talked, we danced, we got close, and one thing led to another and we had sex.

"I have been on contraceptive potions ever since I started my monthly cycle. My mom basically insisted on it, since I was going to be in a boarding school situation. I take them daily, ritualistically at seven in the morning. Draco has watched me do it every morning. But we all know that it is possible to get a bad one, and I suppose that must have happened, because I am now ten weeks pregnant." Hermione stopped talking, taking another deep breath, trying to steady her shaking hands.

Professor McGonagall hadn't made a sound or even moved during Hermione's story. Draco reached over and grabbed her hand, "We wanted you to be aware so that you could tell the other professors and make the necessary arrangements. Her due date is May 27th, according to the muggle doctor. But that's not a definite. So, we need the fireplaces in the classrooms, our dorm, anywhere we may be, really to be connected to St. Mungo's just in case."

Hermione winced, because it felt as if they were demanding and Professor McGonagall still hadn't said anything. She looked up from her lap, her eyes immediately moving over to the portrait again to find Dumbledore smiling at her. "I called it Minerva. Did I not call it?"

Hermione's eyes widened in shock and swung to the headmistress to find her smiling. "Yes, Albus, you called it. Though you did not, however, predict a pregnancy from the two of them. Just a relationship."

She couldn't believe her ears, were her two favorite professors actually making secret bets on her love life? Draco started to laugh-full out belly laughing-his fingers clenching around hers. "I can't believe it, you old codger. Are you that bored in that portrait?"

Dumbledore himself began to laugh, but Hermione couldn't bring herself to do more than smile. "I came up with the idea of putting the two of you together, because I saw what no one else did. Had Voldemort not risen again, charged you to kill me and completely ruined your education, I would have made the two of you Heads when the time came. Because I knew that the two of you would complement the other nicely. Matchmaking was one of my secret passions."

Professor McGonagall spoke up, "And I went along with it, because he wouldn't shut up otherwise. No spell I tried on the portrait would quiet him. While I do admit that what you have told me is quite the surprise, you are both consenting adults. You were also being responsible in taking your potions daily, and I know you were, because I trust you. They have been known to fail before. I will set up all the fireplaces; we want you to be able to get to the Healer's quickly. I will also notify the other professors."

Hermione teared up again, her hormones making her more emotional than normal. "Thank you, Professor, so very much. Draco and I will be getting married over the Christmas holidays. So when we return, we'll be married." The headmistress nodded her head with a smile. "That is excellent. Have you told your parents yet?"

The couple shook their heads. "No, we will go to the Manor after this week and tell my parents. The following weekend, Hermione has an appointment with the muggle doctor again and that is when we will tell her parents." He brought her hand up for a kiss and smiled at her.

McGonagall nodded with a smile, "Very well. You two seem to have it all planned out. I would expect no less from the two of you. One reason I went along with Albus' idea is because I also saw what he saw. I don't say things like this often, but the two of you are perfect for each other."

"Thank you, Professor, again. For everything. We'll get out of your hair. I need to go and visit Madam Pomfrey for some more nausea potions." Professor McGonagall smiled at them and waved them off, sitting back in her chair. Hermione gave one last look at her from the door before leaving with Draco.

XxX

The following week passed by in a blur and Hermione was a nervous wreck. Draco sat on the couch in their common room, watching Hermione pace back and forth, chewing on her thumbnail. They were due to arrive at the Manor in a half-hour to tell his parents and several factors were working Hermione into a frenzy.

This would be the first time that she'd seen his father since the trials, when he'd still held some residual anger at being extracted from the Dark Lord's clutches. There was also the fact that he'd never truly cared for Hermione, because of her blood status. But he was trying to change that, he truly was, and today Hermione would be able to see it.

But even Draco had to admit he was nervous to be telling them that they were going to become grandparents. He knew his mum would be over the moon, ecstatic about it. His father-well, it might take Lucius a little time to warm up to it. Draco just hoped that his father would remain amicable about it. But they were also informing them about the wedding, and Hermione was agreeing to put the planning into his mother's hands.

"Hermione, love, we really should get going. We need to get down to the apparition point." She turned to him, her honey eyes wide with anxiety as she nodded. "I suppose you're right. Let's get going."

She headed for the door and paused, waiting for him to join her. When Draco came up behind her, he slid his arms around her waist, his hands resting on her stomach as he kissed her head. "If at any moment you feel uncomfortable, just say so. We'll leave immediately. But I promise, my father is trying to change his views."

Hermione sagged into his chest with a sigh and nodded. "I will, Draco. I also promise to give him a fair chance."

Minutes later, they were at the apparition point, holding hands, Hermione clinging to him for dear life. "Wait, don't you need to add me to the wards again?" Draco shook his head, looking down at her with a smile. "No, love. I never removed you in the first place, but for the next six months or so, you'd be able to get in and out with no problems anyway, since my little hummingbird in there has my blood pumping through its veins."

A little O formed on her lips in realization, before she started to laugh, slight hysteria in the sound, "That's right. I forgot about that. Pregnancy brain. Okay, I'm ready." Draco kept a tight hold on his witch and disapparated them directly into his bedroom, as he had when he brought them to visit the library.

When she gained her bearings again, she began to pace his bedroom, shaking her hands up and down as if they tingled, bouncing on the balls of her feet. Draco couldn't lie, he was as nervous as she, but he had learned from a young age to cultivate and hide the showing of emotions such as these.

"All you have to do is say you're uncomfortable, okay?" She nodded, and he stepped in front of her, halting her pacing. Her head tilted back and her gaze found his, she took a deep steadying breath. "Find that Gryffindor courage, love. Everything will be fine." Draco leaned down to give her a gentle kiss, hands cradling her face. He could feel her relax in his hands and he smiled against her lips.

"Now, before we go down, there is a reason I apparated us here instead of the front door." He grinned at her quirked brow. He gave her a chaste kiss before turning away and walking to a Muggle painting. He swung the framing forward, revealing a small safe set into the wall and Hermione grinned when he looked back at her.

He put in the code to the safe, not bothering to hide the numbers from her. He opened the door wide, reaching in and concentrating on what he wanted to pull from the Malfoy vaults within the belly of the house. When the small velvet square appeared in his waiting palm, he closed his fingers around it and pulled it from the safe.

Draco shut the door and replaced the painting, before returning to Hermione and dropping to one knee with a smirk. "I know I've already done this once, but now I can do it right." He opened the box and Hermione gasped at the ring held within the satin folds.

It wasn't what one would consider an engagement ring; there was no diamond, emerald or ruby in sight. The setting wasn't flashy either, just a simple platinum setting, color darkened by age and wear. But the true beauty of the ring was the stone-a dragon's breath opal.

The base color of the stone was a vibrant ruby, but just under the surface, it looked as if there was lightning swirling within the beautiful gem.

"Draco, this is so stunning. What is it?" He smiled up at the beauty before him, her thirst for knowledge making his heart swell even more.

"This is a dragon's breath opal, so named because they were generally found near a dragon's den. Their fiery breath and the steam that it created helped form the stone, which also influenced the color. Since dragons are magical beings, the opal is steeped in magical properties. The ring, because of the platinum and the internal magic, cannot be cursed, spelled, hexed, or charmed, aside from the charm where it automatically sizes to fit you. This means that even my family could not have tampered with it, vindictive as the generations before me have been. It also offers certain protections from things, like fire, which could come in handy. But none of that matters right now. What matters is the reason I chose this specific ring, out of all the others I had at my choosing." Draco grinned at Hermione again.

Before she could ask him why, he continued on his own. "As you know, my name means dragon, and as it is a dragon's breath opal, I chose this ring because, from the very first moment that I laid eyes on you, and every moment from then on, you have taken the very breath from my lungs. In giving this ring to you, I fully give my every breath to you, and to that precious life you are growing in your body."

Draco pulled the ring from the box and held it aloft, his eyes locking with Hermione's shimmering brown irises. She smiled brilliantly at him and extended her left hand, her fingers trembling. He set the box on the ground at his feet and took her hand in his, kissing her knuckles first before sliding the ring onto her finger.

They both watched as it resized and glowed golden, sealing the bond they had made. He kissed the back of her knuckles again, standing and kissing her lips gently. "Okay, my love. Time to go down now."

XxX

The weight of the ring on her finger felt strange and foreign, but she couldn't help but look at it as they made their way to the library. It had been prearranged between Draco and his parents that this is where they would meet, as it would make Hermione the most comfortable.

When the double doors came into view, her palms broke into a sweat and she grabbed Draco's hand, squeezing tightly. He gave her a reassuring squeeze back as they walked through the open doors, finding Lucius and Narcissa sitting in the nearest sitting area, tea already waiting on them.

Narcissa rose, Lucius following her lead. "Welcome to our home, Miss Granger. I apologize for our absence on your last visit. I also sincerely apologize for what transpired here during the war." When Draco and Hermione were close enough, Narcissa extended her hand and Hermione shook it with a smile, that was only slightly showed her discomfort.

"Thank you, Mrs. Malfoy. I accept your apologies, even if one of them was not yours to give. You are free of blame in what happened to me here during the war." The two witches released hands and shared a genuine smile.

"You are most welcome. While I may not be at fault, it was still my sister who wrought such evil upon you in my home, and I am still very sorry for that. But, all that aside, please, call me Narcissa." She gave another genuine smile as she turned to greet her son, sweeping him into her arms and kissing his cheeks. "Draco, my darling. You look so well. It is so good to see you."

He returned her affections without embarrassment and Hermione smiled at the sight. She could feel a different set of grey eyes on her, assessing her, and she turned to greet them with a slight catch in her breathing and a hesitancy in her stare. She nodded in greeting. "Mr. Malfoy."

"Miss Granger, nice to see you again." He nodded back at her. None of his former hostility could be found in his eyes, nor his demeanor. She could see that Draco had been right, his father was trying to change his ideals. "Nice to see you as well, Mr. Malfoy. You are looking well."

The two other occupants of the library had gone silent and were watching the exchange between Hermione and Lucius. "As are you, Miss Granger. Please, won't you have a seat?"

Hermione summoned the strength to smile at the intimidating man before her, "I do believe I will, thank you." She turned to look behind her, taking a seat on the couch, crossing her legs and looking up at Draco with a smile. He returned her smile, then looked at his mother, who took her own seat. Only then did the men lower themselves to their seats, as they had no doubt been taught.

Narcissa took the lead as Lucius sank back into his chair, steepling his fingers and going silent. "Draco, you said that you had some news you'd like to share with us. As Miss Granger is here-may I call you Hermione, dear?" Narcissa turned to Hermione, who nodded at the question posed to her. "I assume it includes her."

Draco glanced over at Hermione, taking her hand again. They had discussed previously that Draco would do most of the talking in this situation, as they were his parents and he knew how best to go about things with them. "Well, mum, we have several bits of news, actually. We were both chosen as Head Boy and Girl for the eighth years. Even the seventh-year Heads have to answer to us."

He paused here and both of his parents looked impressed, Narcissa smiling widely at her son, the pride evident in her eyes. "Oh, Draco, that is so wonderful. Congratulations to the both of you." But her eyes had narrowed in on their linked fingers now and their posture towards one another. Draco must have caught onto his mother's hawk-like gaze because he chuckled next to Hermione.

"I can hear the gears turning, mum." At this, though, he turned to his father, his face turning dead serious as he began this part of their tale. "Every break, every summer, I would come home always complaining about the bushy-haired, buck-toothed, know-it-all-sorry, love-mudblood and how she was beating me in every class. I drove you mad, father. I know I did. Hell, she drove me mad. But every time I used that damned word, I wanted to gut myself. I have adored this witch next to me for so very long." At this, he paused again, looking away from his stoic father to give Hermione a softening look, missing the crack in Lucius' icy exterior. Hermione caught it though, as did Narcissa.

"While I tormented her throughout our early years, when it came down to it, when everyone else believed I was a lost cause, she still had faith in me." Draco pulled her hand up to kiss her knuckles. "That was when I knew that I loved her. Of course, I never believed I'd have a chance with her, but when we both decided to go back to Hogwarts, I thought that maybe I might get that chance.

"Little did we both know that our friends were scheming behind our backs to get us together and locked us into that secret dungeon room, just past the Slytherin dorms." There was a quiet giggle and a low chuckle from Narcissa and Lucius. "We know that little room well, son." Lucius said, breaking his silence.

XxX

Draco made a face. "I didn't need to know that." Before he could continue, Narcissa giggled again, covering her mouth with her hand. Draco groaned, knowing he wouldn't be able to continue until his mother quieted and revealed the secret that had her so tickled.

"We actually snuck back into Hogwarts before the beginning of the school year in 1979 and into that room. You were conceived in that room." His mother dissolved back into giggles and his father looked lovingly at his wife, obviously lost in the memory.

Draco smirked, because he knew just how to break the news to them now and how to shock his mother into silence. "Well, isn't that ironic, because that is where your grandchild was conceived as well."

Just as he'd expected, his mother stopped giggling, her gaze locking onto his face, then flicking to Hermione. His father's gaze jerked to Draco, remembrance replaced by shock. "What did you just say?" Lucius asked. His mother was still staring at him, her mouth hanging open, hand halfway between her mouth and her lap, clearly in shock.

"You heard me, father, but I will say it again, Hermione is pregnant. You are going to be grandparents. That is what we came to tell you, that is our news. Also, we are planning to get married over the Christmas holidays." Draco leaned over to kiss Hermione's temple with a smile.

"I-I'm going to be a grandmother?" His mother finally came out of her shock, her eyes misting over with tears, a smile lifting her lips. The momentary happiness was replaced by a disappointment directed at Draco. "I taught you to be careful, young man! You should have been more careful! No offense to you, Miss Granger."

Draco hung his head, because for the first time, he realized that he should have been more careful. He should have used the charms his mother had taught him on himself and Hermione, even though he knew she took her potion. But he'd been so caught up in the moment, as had she.

But Hermione spoke up, "It wasn't his fault entirely, Narcissa. He knew that I took my potion every day, watched me do it every day for a week. We were both so in the moment that we didn't worry about any extra protection. But as an expert potioneer yourself, you know as well as he and I that sometimes those potions can go bad without anyone's knowledge. And as I take my potion like clockwork, we know that was the case here."

Narcissa's face softened as she listened to Hermione. Draco's fiancee continued, "This is something that neither of us planned for. I, personally, would have liked to have waited another five years or so, so I could become established in whatever career I choose, but life has a way of shaking things up and I wouldn't change this for anything. With that being said, Draco and I both agreed that we want our little miracle to be brought into this world into a whole family." Hermione's hand moved to rest on her stomach, smiling softly.

Her soft gaze turned to Draco for a moment before returning to Narcissa. "Draco has told me about so many of the wonderful events you have planned, and I would love it if you would plan our wedding. We would, however, like to keep it small. Just close family and friends."

Narcissa's eyes lit up; she had obviously already started in on the planning. "Oh, fantastic, we can use the ballroom." Draco held up a finger, stopping his mother before she got too far in her planning. "We would like to have it here, yes. But here in the library." His mother's eyes narrowed as a frown creased her brow. "A wedding? In a library?"

Draco nodded, "You know of Hermione's history here in the Manor. This is the place she feels most comfortable. I do not want her to be in any undue stress. That's not good for the baby or her."

At the feel of Hermione's hand on his arm, he turned to smile at her. "Yes, love?" She smiled up at him, gently rubbing his arm. "Perhaps we could go and look at the ballroom? Just to see." Draco glanced at her, surprised, but nodded. "If that is what you want to do. Mum, would you lead the way?"

Narcissa rose from her seat, smiling as she reached for Hermione's hand. "Come dear, I think you will love it. Perhaps we can let the men sit and chat? If you would be okay with that?" Draco saw Hermione tense, and watched as her honey eyes looked back at him. He gave her an encouraging nod and she smiled at him. "I think that would be fine, Narcissa."

Draco watched as Hermione was lead away by his mother, just a little flare of panic rising in his chest. It was a ridiculous thing, he knew his mother wouldn't hurt Hermione or cause her stress. Especially not now that she had a grandchild involved.

He could feel his father's eyes on him and he turned to look into eyes that matched his own. "I know that she isn't what you would have picked for me or for the mother of your grandchildren, and you and I both know I will never make you as proud as I wish to. But she is what I want and she is the mother of my child. I know you are trying to change your ways, so I hope that you can find it in you to accept my choice, Hermione and your grandchild."

Lucius' eyes bored into Draco's, but the son didn't look away from his father. He wouldn't give in that easily. When Lucius opened his mouth to speak, Draco was surprised at the words that came from his lips, "Son, I am more proud of you than you could ever know. I should have told you before now. You had the courage to do what I didn't. You saved not only yourself, but your mother and I from the destruction I tried to bring our family.

"Not only that, but you braved going back to school after our punishment. Not a lot of people would have done that, for fear of being judged and persecuted. Furthermore, you pursued your heart's desire fearlessly, though with a little nudge from your friends. That alone takes more bravery than I could ever hope to have. You came here, unwavering in your decision, willing to give up everything, though you didn't say so, to support and stand behind your decision.

"While I may take a while to come around and be completely comfortable around Miss Granger, I believe she is the perfect choice for you, Draco. She is intelligent, so very intelligent, and beautiful. She is your equal in every way possible, and for her to have believed in you when no one else did? That is something that is to be cherished. She reminds me quite a bit of your mother, actually." Lucius chuckled quietly and returned to his relaxed position.

Draco had fallen silent, his eyes wide open at his father's candid admission. He couldn't believe his ears. His father was proud of him. After all of the years spent trying to prove himself, trying to make his father proud, Draco had finally achieved his goal.

XxX

Hermione and Narcissa had made it to the ballroom and it was absolutely beautiful. Hermione's jaw had fallen in awe at the sight of the beige walls with its golden accents. A wedding would be absolutely divine in here. As Narcissa began to spout off how she would decorate the space, Hermione began to cry.

Narcissa turned to look at her when she heard Hermione sniffle. "Oh, dear. Was it something I said? Is it the space? We can go back to the library. Come, we'll go." Narcissa began trying to sweep Hermione from the space, but Hermione stopped the older witch.

"No, its nothing you said, I swear. It's just so very beautiful in here. The wedding would be lovely in here, Narcissa. I would love to have the wedding in your ballroom. It would be the perfect setting. I am sorry for crying, my emotions are all over the place lately." Hermione wiped at her eyes with her sleeves.

Narcissa gave Hermione a hug, smiling softly, "I was the same way with Draco. It will pass eventually, the emotions won't be so overwhelming, I promise. When is the baby due to arrive?"

That reminded Hermione of the sonogram pictures in her pocket. She smiled as she pulled them free, "May 27th. I wanted to show you these. They are muggle sonogram pictures of the baby." She held them for Narcissa to examine, the older woman smiling fondly down at the small picture in front of her.

"This little thing is my grandchild?" Her long, manicured finger moving over the little bean-like figure. Hermione nodded, once again explaining what lay in the picture to a Malfoy. The elder witch smiled a watery smile, her finger wavering on the picture. "Do you know if it is a girl or boy yet?"

Hermione couldn't stifle the giggle that escaped her lips, Draco was so like his mother. "No, not for a couple more months yet. Draco and I have decided to find out the muggle way, through the sonogram."

Narcissa tilted her head, looking at Hermione in confusion, but nodded. "I can respect that. Where do you plan to deliver?"

"We are going to deliver at St. Mungo's. Professor McGonagall is setting up every fireplace in the castle so that we can floo there immediately when the time comes. Would you like to be present when we find out the gender?" Hermione asked, walking around the large space of the ballroom, inspecting the gardens beyond the windows.

"You-you would allow me to be present?" Narcissa's voice sounded shocked and humbled. Hermione turned around to smile at her, nodding her head gently. "I am also going to invite my mother. I thought it would be a nice treat for the both of you."

Narcissa placed a hand over her heart, her eyes misting in awe. "Thank you so very much for this gift. Not just this one, but the others you are giving me as well."

It was Hermione's turn to look confused. "Other gifts?" Narcissa rested a hand on Hermione's cheek, stroking the skin gently. "Yes, dear. I always wanted more children-three, maybe four more. But it was not in the cards for Lucius and I. You are giving me two-a daughter and a grandchild."

Hermione began to tear up again, leaning into Narcissa's hand. "I am so very honored to become your daughter, Narcissa, and I hope to one day have a daughter as strong and as beautiful as you are."


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

The visit to the Malfoys had gone much better than Hermione had expected. She hadn't been as uncomfortable as she had thought she would have been and Narcissa had made her feel at home. The wedding planning was underway, Narcissa had asked Hermione a few questions about what she wanted, and that was that.

Draco hadn't yet mentioned what he and Lucius had talked about when the women had left, but she could tell it had affected him in some major way. He was more relaxed somehow now and happier than she had ever seen him. It made her heart happy to see him that way.

She was once again pacing their common room. The ease she had felt last weekend had dissipated over the week with the impending arrival of the visit to her parents. She was nervous again, though for completely different reasons. She didn't want to disappoint her parents.

After only having gotten them back a year ago, they were still settling into their old lives and now she was about to uproot that. Her hand dropped to her stomach, stroking the swell that was now clearly visible under the tight-fitting shirt she was wearing.

She was chewing on her bottom lip when strong arms wrapped around her from behind. Draco's hands dropped to cover her own. "You're going to chew your lip raw, love."

Hermione relaxed into the broad chest behind her and sighed softly. "I just don't want them to be disappointed in me, Draco. All my life that has been my biggest fear. And now, here I am, faced with the possibility that it will happen."

Her lover frowned down at her. "From what you have told me of them, there is no way they could ever be disappointed in you. You are their pride and joy, Hermione. You were being responsible when it happened. You had taken your potion, but it failed. If anything, they may be disappointed in me, for not-what is it muggles say?"

Hermione giggled softly, looking up into those molten grey eyes. "Using protection."

Draco lifted a hand and brushed back a stray curl. "Exactly, that. So, there is no way they'll be disappointed in you, my beautiful future wife. Which reminds me, at some point, I'll need you to leave me alone with your father, before we tell them about the engagement and wedding."

Hermione lifted her brow, looking at him curiously. "Are you sure you want to be left alone with him, after we tell him you've knocked up his daughter?"

Her wizard chuckled, a nervous edge to the sound. "Luckily he isn't a wizard and can't hex me. But yes, it is necessary. Come, we should be going." Draco kissed her temple and gave the small bump one last rub before stepping back and holding his hand out for Hermione. She swallowed thickly and took his hand, letting him lead her from the castle to the apparition point.

When they landed in Hermione's parents backyard, she had to bend over double and retch into the bushes. The feelings of apparition had always made her nauseous, but since the pregnancy it could turn her stomach at a moment's notice. It seemed that when she took the lead on apparition, it made her sick. As she stood and wiped her mouth, taking the handkerchief Draco offered her, she looked up at him. "You're going to have to take the lead on the way back."

He nodded, a frown marring his brow. "I will, love. Perhaps no more apparition after today, though. Just to be on the safe side. Until we visit St. Mungo's, at least." Hermione gave him a nod of agreement as she fought down another wave of nausea by taking deep breaths.

When the tide had turned in her favor, she took his hand and marched to the back door, opening it slowly. "Mum? Dad?"

"We're in the parlor, honey!" Jean Granger called out. Hermione smiled over her shoulder at Draco and stepped into the house. She followed the familiar path to the parlor, stopping for a moment when she reached the doorway. Her eyes filled with tears as she saw her parents, sitting in the same spots as they had when she'd stolen their memories.

Draco gave her a puzzled look, but she just shook her head, wiped her eyes and moved into the room. "Hello, Mum, Dad."

They turned to look at her, smiling brightly upon their only child. Her mother rose first, coming around to sweep Hermione into a hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you, sweetheart." Over her mother's shoulder, she could see her father scrutinizing Draco and she couldn't help but smile. "Mum, Dad, this is Draco. I know you may remember me telling you about him."

Hermione watched as her father narrowed his eyes, clearly remembering all the stories about Draco teasing his little girl. "Welcome to our home, Draco. Please come sit."

Draco stood rooted to the spot, clearly as nervous as Hermione had been before meeting his parents. She took his hand and guided him to a couch, sitting down with him. "I know you remember the bad things I told you about Draco, but let me tell you all the good things he did while you were in Australia."

At that, Hermione launched into her tale about what sixth year was like for all of them, especially Draco, and how when tasked by Voldemort to kill Dumbledore, he couldn't do it. That he took the help Dumbledore offered and gave intel that led to the victory of the Light.

Hugh Granger still looked skeptical, but he seemed to be more comfortable with the idea of Draco in his home. All of that was about to change, though.

Hermione grabbed Draco's hand, needing the strength. He gave her a squeeze as she turned to her parents and took a deep breath. "We came here today, because we are on our way to a doctor's appointment." Hermione swallowed thickly as her parents exchanged worried glances.

"A doctor's appointment? Hermione, pea? Are you sick?" Her father finally spoke up and asked.

Hermione shook her head, squeezing Draco's hand tightly, likely cutting off the circulation. "Mum, you know how, when I was twelve, I was home on Christmas break and I started my cycle. You and Dad freaked out, because I was at a school full of hormone-crazed boys. So, we went to Diagon Alley before I returned to school and bought up enough contraceptive potions to last until summer?"

Her mother nodded, realization slowly dawning in her eyes, so Hermione quickly continued, "I have continued to take them every day, like clockwork, even while Harry, Ron and I were on the run. But, like muggle contraceptives, the potions can fail. They can go bad, or be made with a bad ingredient. Any number of possibilities.

"At the beginning of term, Ginny and her boyfriend got this bright idea that Draco and I needed to go on a date. At the time, I wouldn't have agreed, but now I wouldn't change it, regardless of the circumstances. But there is a secret room in the dungeons that only a few people know about. Mainly Slytherins. You have to know the password to get in and out. Ginny told me that her boyfriend, a Slytherin, had set it up for her and I to have a dinner. Theo had told Draco the same. He let Draco in first, then met Ginny and me to let me in, effectively shutting Draco and I in together and locking us in, for neither of us knew the password to get out. We had dinner, we talked, we danced and I'll spare you all the details, but…" Hermione paused to take a breath and her mother filled in the blanks.

"You're pregnant. That's what you're telling us, isn't it? Your potion failed and you're pregnant?!" Her mother's voice had risen an octave on the last word and Hermione flinched, nodding her head.

Hermione dared a look at her father, who was slowly turning red, glaring daggers at Draco. Draco was sitting ramrod straight next to Hermione, his breathing shaky.

The room suddenly swelled with tension, like a balloon being filled with too much air. Sooner rather than later, it was going to explode. Sure enough, her father was the one to burst first. "So is this what you wizards do?! Just go around, not using protection and getting innocent little girls pregnant?!"

Hermione jumped to her feet. "Now hold on, Daddy! It isn't Draco's fault! He knew I was taking the potion. We thought we were safe."

"Safe?! Hermione, we taught you better than that! Always use more than one form of contraceptive to prevent unwanted pregnancies." Her father spat.

Hermione deflated, tears springing free of her eyes as her hands dropped to her stomach and she sank into the couch, curling into Draco's side, sobbing.

"Hugh!" Jean chastised her husband and moved to her daughter's side, rubbing her quaking back.

Hermione heard her father sigh, and could picture him pushing his glasses up, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Pea, I'm sorry. That is not how I meant it. This is just...unexpected is all. But you, son, should have taken more precautions."

Draco's chest expanded as he took a deep breath, "Yes, sir, I know that I should have and believe me, I have already gotten that lecture from my mum. I, too, was raised to be cautious when having sex. But if you would allow me to explain something to you?"

Her father must have nodded, because Draco continued. "While I may have tormented your daughter throughout our first years of school, I also admired her. Where I am from, I was raised that being magical but hailing from a Muggle family is unnatural. I was taught to abhor the witches and wizards that came from homes such as this. But Hermione, from the very beginning, challenged that view for me. It terrified me and that is why I treated her the way I did. Yes, it was wrong of me.

"She did get me back for it in third year, though, and that is when I started to think of your daughter in a different light." Draco's hand was rubbing her back gently, soothing her as he continued. "When sixth year came about and I was tasked with the awful job of killing our headmaster, I had so many people convinced that I was a monster, a terrible person. Harry was following me around the castle, whispering behind my back. And your daughter was the only one who believed in me.

"The only one who believed, aside from Dumbledore, that I could still be a good person. I heard her telling Harry that one day and I knew then that I loved her. Though I knew I'd probably never get the chance to tell her, much less prove it to her. Because if I didn't kill Dumbledore, Voldemort was going to kill my family. But because of Hermione's faith in me, I took Dumbledore's offer for help.

"With that being said, when we were locked in that room together and things were happening so fast, neither of us stopped to think about adding extra protection. I couldn't believe that I was finally getting to show the girl of my dreams what I felt for her in that moment. Even if it was only a one-time occurrence. But I wouldn't change it for the world. It may have been an accident, it may have been unexpected, but I can tell you this, Hermione and our baby will never, ever be unwanted."

Hermione's sobs had slowly drifted off during Draco's story and she found herself smiling a little at his last sentence. Jean pulled Hermione's hair back and whispered softly, "Come on, honey, let's go and get you cleaned up." Hermione didn't want to leave Draco's side, but after that speech, this was the best time to leave them alone, as Draco had wanted. As she stood, he leaned up for a kiss, which she freely gave before walking away with her mother.

XxX

Draco watched as Hermione left with her mother. The two were mirror images of each other and in that moment, he couldn't help but wonder what their child was going to look like. When a throat cleared across the way, Draco returned his attention to Mr. Granger.

"So let me get this straight, you teased and tormented my daughter until she cried because you were scared of liking her?"

Well, when he put it that way, it did sound rather awful. "I was a spoilt brat who was taught she was beneath me, that she was filth. To this day, I regret everything I ever did to her in those years."

Mr. Granger nodded as if he approved of what he was hearing. "So what exactly are your plans for my daughter now that you've gotten her pregnant?"

Draco cleared his throat and sat forward, on the edge of the couch, careful to look into Mr. Granger's eyes fully. "In my circles of society, generally the marriages are arranged, but when they aren't, there is usually courtship, and, when the time is right, the man asks the father for his daughter's hand. I do not want my child to be born out of wedlock. I want him or her to be born into a whole and loving family and I can't do that without marrying your daughter. Mr. Granger, I have loved your daughter for so long, and the only other woman I have ever loved so deeply is my mother. May I please have your blessing and Hermione's hand in marriage?"

Draco's upper lip began to bead with sweat as the silence went on. Mr. Granger was studying him thoroughly, as if trying to gauge his true intentions. It was only when he heard the women starting to return that he gave Draco his answer. "While you both have gone about this whole process backwards, I do not doubt your sincerity. And I can tell that you make my Hermione happy. You have my blessing."

Draco shook the man's hand firmly, "Thank you so very much. That means the world to me, Mr. Granger, truly."

"Draco, we need to get going. The appointment is in twenty minutes." Hermione said as she entered the room, smiling.

Both men stood, Hermione moving to hug her father as he whispered in her ear. "I'm terribly sorry for my behavior earlier. Please come back after the appointment and have dinner with us?"

Hermione pulled back and glanced at Draco who nodded, "We will. Be back soon, I love you." She kissed her father on the cheek and moved to hug her mother.

Draco shook Mr. Granger's hand once again. "Thank you, again."

The man nodded. "You're welcome, son."

Mrs. Granger moved to Draco and scooped him into a hug, whispering into his ear, "You be good to my baby girl." Draco smiled and whispered back, "Yes ma'am, I will."

A few minutes later they were in the Granger's backyard again, and Hermione sighed softly. "I forgot that you don't know where the office is. I'll take us." Draco frowned down at her but nodded. "Okay, love."

The next moment they were gone on a crack, appearing in an alleyway next to the doctor's office. Hermione bent over double once again. Draco rubbed her back gently, holding her hair back with the other hand. When she was done, she pulled his handkerchief free again and wiped her mouth.

"Alright, let's go," she said and led him around to the front of the building with a smile. It amazed Draco how quickly she had gone from being sick to being excited and it made him smile. He held the door open for her as she walked in and he followed her to the front desk.

"Hermione Granger, checking in for an appointment with Dr. Harris." The secretary nodded, jotting something down, before gesturing for them to take a seat in the lobby.

Hermione walked over to a plastic chair and sat down. Draco followed like a lost puppy, his surroundings so foreign that they did actually frighten him just a little. "We shouldn't have to wait for long."

Draco simply nodded, sitting in his own chair, his hand reaching for hers and intertwining their fingers. He had just gotten comfortable when a nurse in purple scrubs opened a door and called Hermione's name.

They both stood, and Hermione took the lead, following the nurse through the door. The woman led them to a scale and Hermione stepped on it, the nurse making a note of the weight. They were then led into an exam room. Draco took in the clinical surroundings and immediately felt trapped. He had never been one to like going to see the Healer, and that hadn't changed in his adult life either. But he had to be strong for Hermione.

There was some light conversation going on between his witch and the nurse, and then they were left alone in the room. "Draco, are you alright? You're white as a sheet."

Draco turned to face Hermione fully and nodded. "I've just never enjoyed Healer visits. But I am fine."

Hermione positioned herself on the table in the center of the room, and Draco moved next to her, his eyes landing on a strange set up on the other side of the bed. It was some kind of boxy thing, with a glossy looking screen of some sort. Hermione caught him looking and smiled.

"That is the sonogram computer. That is where we'll see our baby in a few minutes. And hear the heartbeat." She grabbed Draco's hand and squeezed gently, just as a knock sounded out on the door.

"Come in," Hermione called, relaxing back onto the table with a smile at Draco, who remained at her side. His eyes locked on the door as it opened, an elderly muggle woman stepping through with a smile on her face.

"Hello, Hermione. It's nice to see you again. Oh, hello there." She walked over and held her hand out to Draco. He took it and gave her hand a shake, forcing out a polite smile. "You must be the father?"

Draco nodded, a real smile forming on his face. "Yes ma'am, I am. My name is Draco Malfoy."

Dr. Harris smiled back at him. "It's very nice to meet you, Draco. I am Dr. Harris. I'm going to give Hermione here a little look see and we'll check on that precious baby. Our sonographer is out today, so I will be your substitute today." The doctor winked at Hermione who smiled softly back at the doctor.

Draco took Hermione's hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss, watching as the doctor lifted Hermione's shirt and shifted the band of her skirt down to expose her stomach. Her hands moved around Hermione's slightly swollen abdomen.

Seemingly satisfied with whatever she did or did not find, Dr. Harris turned to the computer thing, grabbed a bottle of green stuff, and turned to Hermione. "This is the transducer gel. You know it's going to be cool." Hermione nodded, smiling the whole time and only flinched a little when the gel was squirted onto her stomach with a disgusting sound.

Dr. Harris returned the bottle of gel to the stand and picked up a tool that had a cable attached to it. It was only about an inch thick, curved on the bottom, and three or four inches wide, narrowing into a triangular shape until it disappeared into a handle for the doctor to hold.

The woman pushed a button on the machine and the screen flared to life, showing a black triangle like the one Draco had seen on the pictures Hermione had showed him. "Okay, Hermione, here we go."

The doctor lowered the tool to her stomach and there was a static sound for a moment, then the familiar sound of the heartbeat filled the room. Draco couldn't help but smile as the thrum hit his ears, the beat so fast it sounded like hummingbird wings. "There's my little hummingbird," he breathed, leaning down to whisper in Hermione's ear.

Up on the screen, the picture moved around and the baby came into view. He knew what he was looking at now, but the doctor explained it again and he listened anyway. But then the doctor frowned and leaned closer to the screen, moving the transducer around to get a better angle, mumbling to herself.

Both Draco and Hermione had picked up on her behavior. "Dr. Harris, what is it?" Hermione asked, her voice shaking with nerves.

Dr. Harris turned to look at Hermione and Draco with a nervous smile, "Nothing, dear. Just let me go and get a second pair of eyes. Just a moment, please." The woman jumped up and all but ran from the room. Draco began to sweat, his body shaking as he looked at Hermione. She was shaking as well, her eyes wide and terrified as she lay back on the table. "What could it possibly be?" Draco asked.

Hermione shrugged, chewing her bottom lip, her eyes on the frozen image on the screen. Her hand inched toward the hidden pocket inside her skirt for her wand when the door opened again and Dr. Harris returned with another woman. "Hermione, this is June. She is a sonographer for another doctor in the clinic and she is much better at deciphering these things than I am. I am sorry for scaring you."

Hermione nodded as June took her seat, talking with Dr. Harris in hushed tones, both pointing at the screen with the frozen image. After a few minutes, she picked up the transducer, added more gel and began to move it about Hermione's stomach again. Draco's eyes were darting back and forth between the screen and Hermione every few seconds. June seemed to be freezing the screen and taking pictures then moving along quickly.

After what felt like an eternity, June talked with Dr. Harris quietly and they both nodded, before turning to Hermione and Draco and pulling up a certain picture, it was a top view, where they could only see the baby's head. "Do you see this here?" They were pointing to a vague dark circle just on the other side of the baby's head. There was a light spot inside of the dark circle.

Draco and Hermione both nodded, Hermione's hand squeezing his. "Yes. But what does it mean?" Draco asked quietly.

Dr. Harris pushed her glasses up her nose and sighs. "It doesn't happen often, but it does happen. Sometimes, and we don't know how it happens, but one baby can hide behind the other and we miss it on the sonogram. When one baby hides behind the other,their heartbeats are usually mirrored, meaning it sounds as if it is one heart beating. Or, in this case, like a hummingbird's wings."

Hermione's hand tightened on Draco's as she sat up, looking at Dr. Harris as she turned a little white. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you saying that I'm pregnant with tw-twins?!"

Draco barely comprehended the word that had just come from Hermione's mouth, much less the affirming nod from the doctor, when his vision began to go wavy and dark around the edges. The last thing he remembered was Hermione screaming his name as he went down.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Hermione watched helplessly as Draco went down like a heavy stone, collapsing on the floor in a dead faint. Dr. Harris and June looked at each other in shock, and both ran from the room, no doubt to get something to revive Draco. But Hermione jumped down from the table, cradling his head in her lap, pulling her wand free quickly and pointing it at his temple. " _Ennervate_."

Draco's eyelids fluttered and slowly raised, his grey eyes unfocused and confused as they met hers. "Hermione?"

She nodded down at him, giving him an uneasy smile as she smoothed his hair back. "Hello, handsome. You took a quick little vacation from consciousness." She heard the doctor coming back and quickly stored her wand, keeping his head in her lap.

"Oh, he's awake! We went to get something to wake him. I need to see if he hit his head, though." Dr. Harris said, coming over to examine Draco.

His eyes remained on Hermione as the elderly woman looked him over. "So that wasn't just a dream? We're having twins, as in two babies? At once?" Hermione nodded down at him as Dr. Harris finished her assessment, leaving the two of them on the floor with a murmur that she would be back in a few minutes.

"Yes, Draco. We're having twins, two babies. At once." Hermione gulped. The implications were just now sinking in, making a shudder run through her body. "How are we going to take care of two babies? I don't even know how to take care of one. Merlin's beard, I'm going to be a terrible mum." Unbidden, her eyes filled with tears, the hot trails burning her cheeks.

Draco moved quickly, sitting up and scooping Hermione into his arms, cradling her close. "We'll figure it out together, that's what we'll do. And we'll get help from my mum and yours. We're not alone in this."

There was a knock on the door and Draco kissed Hermione gently, helping her off of the floor and back onto the exam table. "Come in." Hermione called out once again. Dr. Harris reentered. "I want to apologize once again for scaring you, as well as for missing the presence of the second baby. I will understand if you wish to choose another physician."

Hermione frowned up at Draco when the doctor bowed her head and he shook his. "No, Dr. Harris, as you said, it is rare for it to happen, but it does. We do not blame you for something that was beyond your control. We are not going to choose another doctor at this time. But I will have a secondary doctor, as I will be in Scotland around my due date. We attend a school there, so I will be there around the time the babies are scheduled to come. But we will continue to come here for as long as we are able."

The doctor looked up, relieved, a smile lifting her lips. "That is so great to hear, and I completely understand your need for a second doctor. We are finished for today, I have written a list of instructions and vitamins I would like for you to take as you enter your second trimester. Your morning sickness should start to diminish soon." She handed Hermione a packet. On top was an envelope which held the pictures from this sonogram. "The pictures are there. We tried to get as many as possible and labeled them to show the second baby as well as we could. But Baby B likes to hide well. As they grow bigger, it will be harder for Baby B to hide and we will be able to get better pictures."

Draco and Hermione nodded, speaking in unison. "Thank you, Dr. Harris." The doctor nodded and left, leaving Hermione and Draco alone once more. They left the exam room and went to check out of the appointment, both moving in silence. Once outside in the alleyway, Draco looked down at Hermione and she returned his gaze, "I know you said we would return to have dinner with your parents, but I think we should go back to the castle and get you some rest. You are still shaking like a leaf, love."

Hermione looked down at her hands and sure enough, her hands were trembling. She could also feel her legs shaking as well, so she nodded at Draco. "I think you're right. I'll write them when I get back to the castle. Actually, wait here."

She left him in the alleyway and returned to the doctor's office, walking to the receptionist, "Excuse me? I hate to bother you, I was just in here for my appointment. But I was just wondering if I might borrow your phone for just a moment." The petite brunette shrugged and lifted the console up and set it on the counter. Hermione lifted the headset and dialed her parents number.

As the phone rang, she tried to calm her body, but the trembles wouldn't stop. Her mother finally answered, "Hello, mum? It's Hermione. I know I said we would come for dinner, but I am exhausted, so Draco and I are going to head back home."

"Oh, honey, I understand. I got so tired when I was pregnant with you. Go and get your rest, you're going to need it. I love you, darling. Write to me soon." Her mother crooned through the phone.

"I will, mum, I promise. I love you." Hermione replied. She listened to her mother's goodbye, repeated her own and hung up the phone. She handed it back to the receptionist, thanking her with a smile. Within minutes, she was back outside with Draco. "Take me home, please."

XxX

After a few days, the shock had worn off. Hermione and Draco had written to both sets of parents, informing them of what they had learned at the doctor appointment. Narcissa had been ecstatic and had said she'd already begun buying baby equipment that would be needed. Hermione was secretly thankful.

Her mother's letter wasn't as enthusiastic, but it was still a happy letter. However, Hermione couldn't help but worry about how her father had taken the news. She had really wanted to go to dinner with them that evening and talk to him more about what had happened. To try and assuage any doubts he had. But she had been so shocked, stressed and exhausted that she'd come home, ate two helpings of cottage pie and rice pudding, then crawled into Draco's arms and slept for twelve hours straight.

Now it was Thursday and they were sitting in their last class of the day. At lunch they had talked to Theo and Ginny and were going to meet them in Hogsmeade for dinner tonight. It was time to tell their friends the news. Especially since Hermione wouldn't be able to hide it for much longer.

They'd had an appointment at St. Mungo's yesterday after classes, and all had gone well. The healers had also confirmed what Dr. Harris had seen; Hermione was indeed pregnant with twins. The healers, though, had been able to go one step further and been able to tell them that the twins were not identical, but fraternal. Meaning that they could possibly have one of each sex. She still couldn't believe it.

The bell chimed, signaling the end of classes and the end of the school day. She gathered her things, stowing them in her bag, which Draco promptly took from her. "Are you nervous?"

Did he know her at all? She thought with a smile. "Of course I am. When haven't I been nervous throughout this whole process?" They left the classroom, walking the hallways toward their dorm to change clothes.

"That is true," he chuckled, stepping through the portrait into their hidden hallway, walking down to the portrait of the peacock. The egg on the nest grew larger as time went by and Hermione was amazed by it. "But I think we should let Ginny talk first, because I know she'll be dying to catch me up on anything and everything. We haven't really had a chance to talk lately."

Draco nodded, stroking the neck of the peacock. "That makes sense, we've been busy galavanting. I'm surprised you haven't gotten an owl back from Potter or Weasley yet. You did send the one inviting them for today, didn't you?"

Hermione nodded, stepping through the open portrait, into their common room. "I did, but sometimes their responses are delayed because of their auror training and-" She was interrupted by a tapping on their window where a tawny owl sat on the sill. "Well, speaking of…" She walked over and opened the window, taking the roll of parchment from the owl's leg, watching as it took flight.

Unfurling the letter, she smiled as she read Harry's familiar handwriting. "They'll be there. Oh, I'm so excited. I mean, Harry already knows, but I'm so excited to see him. He said he told Ron that he would have to wait until after dinner to see Justin. Oh, that's good. Justin is a sweet guy, but I don't want him to know our little secret just yet."

Draco smiled as Hermione looked up at him. She lifted up on her tiptoes and kissed him gently. "Alright, love. We should get changed, then. Don't want to be late."

Thirty minutes later, they were walking down the snow covered street to Hogsmeade. Hermione breathed in deeply, the crisp, cold winter air calming her nerves. Winter was her favorite time of year; she loved the snow and how it sparkled in the sun. When they arrived at The Three Broomsticks, she was more calm than she had been since finding out she was pregnant.

Once in the pub, she heard her name called and looked up to see her two best friends waving at her. Her smile widened as she weaved through the tables, throwing her arms around their necks and hugging them both at the same time. "Oh, it's so great to see you both!"

She let go of Harry to give Ron a big hug, kissing him on the cheek. "I didn't get to talk to you much last time. How are you?" He smiled at her, rubbing the back of his neck, "I'm fine, Hermione. We've almost finished our training, but I think once we do, I'm going to transfer to a different department. You know, so I'm not gone all the time on missions. I didn't think it would be this hard to be apart from Justin."

Hermione lifted her hand to his cheek with a knowing smile. "I know exactly what you mean." Her eyes drifted over her shoulder where Draco was talking with Theo and Ginny, who had just walked in.

"And Harry! How has training been for you?" Hermione stepped over to hug him, whispering in his ear, "And things with Pansy?"

Harry chuckled as Hermione released him, pushing up his glasses, only a slight blush tinting his cheeks. "Great, great. Everything is going great. Kingsley has already tried to get me to take the Head Auror position when I finish training, but I turned him down. I don't want special treatment. I want the experience first. Just slow and steady going." The pointed, but happy look from Harry at that last sentence and Hermione knew he was referring to Pansy.

The other trio finally made their way over, with Ginny jumping on her brother to hug him. "Ron!" Her brother laughed and hugged her tight, while eyeing Theo with some apprehension. Hermione had yet to be able to talk with Ginny about how that particular conversation had went, but since Theo was alive and intact and Ron wasn't immediately gunning for him, she assumed it went as well as it could have.

Ron was known to be notoriously overprotective of those he loved, but when it came to Ginny, that streak was five miles wide. She was his only and baby sister and no one would ever be good enough for her, but Hermione hoped that Ron would give Theo a chance. Because Theo truly treated Ginny like a queen.

After the awkward minute of silence passed, Ginny moved over to give Harry a hug. Hermione had expected it to be awkward, but it wasn't, though she knew through the few letters she and Harry had written that he and Ginny had been talking things through and working through his unresolved feelings. Of that she was glad-Harry and Ginny had a good friendship.

Draco shook hands with Harry and Ron, exchanging pleasant greetings with them, and everyone sat, pulling menus free and opening them. Hermione's nerves began to return as the table got quiet as everyone searched for what they wanted to eat. She glanced up, catching Harry's eye, and he gave her a knowing and supportive smile.

Ginny seemed to have decided what she wanted because she sat the menu down and began to launch into a story on what her dormmates had done earlier that week. Hermione was grateful for the distraction and allowed herself to look over the menu, leaning into Draco's side at the round table.

After Madam Rosmerta had come over and taken their orders, conversation had resumed. Harry and Ron filled them in on training. They were discussing how things were going with Ron and Justin and how school was going for Ginny and Theo when Ginny asked the million dollar question. "So, Hermione, where have you and Draco been sneaking off to so much?"

Hermione, who'd been taking a sip of her water, almost choked, spraying the liquid across the table. She wiped her mouth amidst her apology to Ron. "I'm so sorry, Ron. Well, uh, we've been going to visit Draco's parents and mine."

Ginny raised a fiery eyebrow, leaning forward on the table, her eyes scanning over Hermione and Draco, scrutinizing them. "That much though? Why?" Hermione slid her left hand under the table, hoping to keep the action sly, but Ginny of course caught it. "You're engaged, aren't you?! I bloody well knew you two were perfect for each other! Told Theo that on the train. Let me see the ring! When is the wedding?"

Hermione sighed, bringing her hand back up on the table, showing Ginny the ring. "The wedding is December 28th."

"Holy shite! This is a dragon's breath opal! These are rare! Figures you lot would have one, Malfoy." Ginny grinned at him, then narrowed her eyes back at Hermione. "Hold on, the 28th? Of this month? Why so early? What in the bloody hell is going on?"

Ginny was becoming angry at being left in the dark now, which caused Hermione's own ire to rise and with the emotional charge of the pregnancy, it wasn't long before Hermione was incensed. "Don't you dare get pissy with me, Ginevra. If I chose to hide things from you, it was my choice. After all, you kept your relationship with Theo hidden from everyone for two years. I feel sorry for Theo, I truly do. To have to hide your relationship with the person that you love, to not be able to show the world!

"That has to be one of the worst kinds of torture. Oh and don't even get me started on how you let Harry pine after you that whole time, when you knew you loved Theo and didn't have those feelings for Harry anymore. Then, you and Theo conspired together and lied to both Draco and I, shutting us into that room together-not that I regret that night, sweetheart. You kept that a secret from me, told me that we were having a dinner together. So forgive me if I wanted to keep something to myself for a while!"

Hermione was breathing heavily and hadn't noticed that she and Ginny had stood and were bowing toward one another until Draco started to sit her down and rub her back. "Love, you have to calm down. Stress isn't good, remember?" he whispered into her ear. She leaned her temple against his forehead and did a few breathing exercises, sighing softly after she'd calmed down, her hand unconsciously moving to her stomach and rubbing.

"Ginny, I am sorry for that outburst. Draco and I did invite you here to share some news with you all." Hermione sighed, taking a deep breath and leaning further into Draco.

"Ginny, that night you and Theo shoved us into that room was one of the best nights of my life. And I know that Draco feels the same." Beside her, Draco nodded and she continued. "You know I take my contraceptive potions like clockwork; nothing changed that day. Draco and I made love that night and over the next few weeks, I worked myself into the ground. So I blamed the exhaustion and not feeling well on that. But before our first Hogsmeade trip, I went to see Madam Pomfrey, like I told you, for her to just check me out.

"While she was running her diagnostic spells, she discovered that I was pregnant." At that there was a surprised gasp from Ginny, Ron's jaw hung open and Theo looked to Draco wide eyed in shock. Harry was the only one unaffected. "A few weeks later I went to visit my parents and visited a Muggle doctor to truly confirm, because I was in shock myself. It was only after that when I told Draco and he proposed. Because we wanted our child-" Hermione paused to take a deep breath, but continued without correcting herself-"to be born into a whole family, not out of wedlock. That is why we are having the wedding so soon.

"We then went to his parents to tell them and the following weekend, we went to mine. While we were visiting my parents, we had a doctor's appointment with my Muggle doctor, just to check in on the baby. It was there that they made a discovery that shocked us even further. Not only am I pregnant, but I am having twins." The silence that followed that statement was deafening, and Hermione locked eyes with Harry. For so long he had been her rock, her sounding board, her glue and he was looking at her with shock mixed with concern now.

"Oh Merlin. This is all our fault, Theo! We did this. Why did you let me talk you into this? Why did you let me go through with it?" Ginny hung her head in her hands.

Hermione was about to speak up, but Draco beat her to it. "Ginny, please do not blame yourself. We could have been more responsible and weren't. While neither one of us was looking to start families anytime soon, this was a blessing in disguise for both of us, I believe, and now that it is happening, we wouldn't change it."

Ginny looked up at Draco, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears."Really?"

Draco and Hermione both nodded at her. "Truly, Gin. Please, don't beat yourself up over it," Hermione reassured her friend.

Their food arrived a few minutes later and they all tucked in, silence once again reigning at the table. Ron finally piped up, "So are we all invited to the wedding?"

Hermione laughed softly and nodded. "Yes, the Weasleys are invited, as well as Harry, Theo, my parents and Draco's. You can also bring Justin, Ron. We are just having a small gathering, just our immediate families. And since I consider the Weasleys my family, of course you are."

Ron nodded and proceeded to stuff his face. Only small conversations popped up from then on, various questions and answers flying around the table. After some time, Ron excused himself to go and meet Justin, giving Hermione and his sister hugs.

Hermione turned to Ginny and looked at her. "Have you told your parents yet?" The redhead shook her head, sighing softly as she looked at Theo, who was deep in conversation with Draco. "I was planning on telling them over Christmas, taking Theo with me."

The brunette nodded, smiling at her friend, "That's good, Ginny. Because if they accepted Ron and Justin, they will accept Theo. After all, he kept their little girl safe during the war."

Ginny reached out to grab Hermione's hands, squeezing them. "Thank you, Hermione, truly. And I'm sorry that I got angry earlier. I am just so used to nothing being kept secret in my house. Even though I've been keeping a secret of my own."

Her brown eyes dropped to Hermione's stomach with a smile. "Wow. Twins, huh?"

Hermione nodded, taking one of Ginny's hands and placing it on her stomach. Ginny smiled brightly and gently swirled her hand around the swell. "I still can't believe it. I have no idea how I am going to be a mum. Much less to twins. But I'm excited. Scared, but excited."

Behind them a throat cleared. Harry had gotten up and come around. "I'm going to head out now." There was a glint in his eye and Hermione grinned. Ginny rose and gave him a hug, moving to stand behind Theo, rubbing his shoulders. Hermione was next to stand, wrapping Harry in a hug, tucking her nose against his neck and whispering, "Going to meet Pansy?"

Harry turned and kissed her head, whispering against her hair, "Yes. I really like her, Mi. She's amazing. Ginny was great, but Pansy, she's totally different. Not what I was expecting. Love you, Mi. I gotta go."

Hermione stepped free of Harry's hold and smiled as he said his goodbyes to Draco and Theo, leaving them behind in the pub.

"We're gonna head back to the castle," Theo spoke up, standing and taking Ginny's hand. "You two coming?"

Draco shook his head and smiled down at Hermione. "No, we're going to go and do a little shopping, I think." Hermione nodded and slid her arm around Draco's waist.

The two couples bade each other goodbye, Draco and Hermione watching as Theo and Ginny left. "I better go and pay Rosmerta," Draco said, leading Hermione to the counter to pay the owner of the pub. Then, hand in hand, the couple left the pub for the snowy streets of Hogsmeade.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The next couple of weeks had flown by, and Christmas break was now upon them. Draco had gotten their dorm Floo connected to the Manor, so Hermione wouldn't have to travel by apparition or the train, and they had arrived a few hours ago. He had also gotten his mother to add the Grangers to the wards so that they would be able to be Apparated in without a problem.

He and Hermione had agreed, with both sets of parents' consent, that they should stay at the Manor for Christmas. Harry would be arriving later today by Apparition. He would be staying for the holidays as well, Auror training having finally ended. He was awaiting his final test.

Once Harry arrived, he and Draco would be going to pick up Hermione's parents to make it easier on Hermione. Also, Narcissa had a dress fitting for Hermione scheduled for later that day. They were on a short deadline, after all-just over a week before the wedding-and the dress had to be perfect, according to his mother.

Draco sat in the plush armchair in his room, watching Hermione sleeping on the bed, his fingers steepled as he thought about all the things they needed to get in order. Once they were married and back at the castle, things would continue as they had been. They would have appointments with both the Muggle doctor and the Healer for a couple weeks and then switch to seeing only the Healer.

Hermione was adamant on returning to Hogwarts once she was released by the Healers after the twins arrived. Draco wasn't going to stand in her way, but they had made a compromise. She would return to Hogwarts, but she was going to let him bring her the homework. She hated the idea of missing the physical classes, but she knew that she would need to be with the twins.

More than once he had seen her scribbling on sheets of paper in the dorm, mumbling to herself, no doubt trying to work a way around their negotiation.

After graduation, however, they were going to need a place to live. He was not going to force her to live here in the Manor-not after what she had endured here. The Malfoy family had multiple other properties that they could live in; he would just have to talk to her about it and give her the options. Or they could go and buy their own place. But he had one particular cottage in mind that he knew she might love.

Draco knew that she wanted to work at the Ministry after Hogwarts, but that she was hesitant now, with the impending arrival of the twins, wanting to be able to be with them. The French Minister had offered her a position within his cabinet that she could utilize and work from home, allowing her to be with the twins. He could see the hesitancy in her entire body, she couldn't decide what she wanted. But more and more she talked about the French position.

Maybe if he showed her the little cottage near the French Alps, she would be more inclined to accept that position. It wasn't that he wanted her to be a housewife like his mother-he just knew that she would be happier knowing the twins were okay.

Hermione stirred on the bed, finally waking, just as a house elf appeared in the room, bowing low. "Master Potter has arrived."

"Thank you, Roffy. Tell him we will be down in a minute." The elf bowed low once more and disappeared again. Draco rose from his seat and walked over to Hermione, giving her a gentle kiss. "Hello, sleepy head. Feel better?"

Hermione nodded, stretching her body out on the large bed before sitting up. "I am. Let's go down and see Harry."

Draco helped her from the bed and smiled as he pulled her shirt down for her, his hands rubbing along her belly. "I can't believe how quickly you're showing, I love it."

Hermione smiled and shook her head. "I'm going to look like a whale by the time it's over."

Draco scoffed, leaning down to kiss Hermione again, before taking her hand and leading her from the room. "You will not. You will be beautiful the entire time."

His witch smiled again, blushing slightly as they started to descend the stairs, "Now I think you've gone off your rocker. I can feel them move, have I told you that? Just on the inside though. I bet you'll be able to feel them soon." Draco smiled, he couldn't wait for that.

They arrived in the library where Harry was waiting and greeted him, Hermione giving him a hug. They talked for several minutes before Narcissa came in and drug Hermione away.

"Alright, mate. Ready to go and collect your future in-laws?" Harry asked and Draco nodded, both men turning on their heels and disappearing.

XxX

It was time for another appointment with Dr. Harris and the doctor had squeezed them in on Christmas day, of all days. Hermione thought she still felt bad for missing the second baby. So they'd made the appointment early, and since Narcissa and Jean were in the same place, they invited them along.

Hermione let Draco apparate her mother while Narcissa took the lead on their apparition, to minimize the trauma on her. They would only have to do this trip one more time, to find out the genders, and Hermione was beginning to think they'd have to Floo to her parents' and drive in. Apparition was becoming unbearable.

As they took form in the alleyway, Hermione rested her hand on her stomach, closed her eyes and breathed in slowly and deeply. The nausea passed quickly and she sighed softly, opening her eyes. "Okay, everyone ready?" As she got affirmations from everyone, they headed into the office.

The receptionist was absent; it was only Dr. Harris and June there to greet them with smiles, "Merry Christmas! I see you brought the grandmothers. You must be Hermione's mum, she is the spitting image of you. I'm Dr. Harris." The elderly woman shook Mrs. Granger's hand.

"Yes, I am. Jean Granger, nice to meet you."

"And you have to be Draco's mother, my, you're beautiful, dear. Such lovely blonde hair. It's nice to meet you." She held her hand out to Narcissa and she took it a little hesitantly, giving a curt nod.

"Narcissa Malfoy, pleased to meet you. Thank you for taking care of our children so well."

Dr. Harris blushed, nodding, obviously not sure what to say. She gestured for the group to follow her and led them into a larger exam room.

Draco helped Hermione up onto the table, easing her back and getting her comfortable. He moved around so that his mother and Mrs. Granger could get a good view of the monitor, making sure to hold Hermione's hand. "So, we're sixteen weeks, Hermione. It's likely we won't be able to tell the sexes yet, but we can try. I know that our last appointment will be in two weeks as you are heading to Scotland after the first."

Hermione nodded as June lifted her shirt and moved her pants down. The woman spread the gel on her protruding stomach and grabbed the transducer, turning the monitor on. When the end was placed on Hermione's stomach, they were able to hear the echoed heartbeats and could tell that there were two separate hearts.

As the image shifted and changed, Dr. Harris smiled, pointing out a clear line separating the two babies, "Last time it was hard to tell, but this line here clearly tells us that the twins are fraternal. So it is possible to have a boy and a girl, or any of the other two combinations. But they won't be identical."

The image shifted again and Hermione saw Draco glance over at his mum, and Hermione looked, watching as Narcissa stared at the screen in awe, silent tears rolling down her cheeks. Draco pressed a clean handkerchief into her hand and she smiled over at him, wiping her cheeks before returning to the screen.

Hermione looked at her own mum. The woman, whom Hermione resembled so much, was enraptured by what she saw on the screen. One hand was rubbing Hermione's leg and the other was up at her chest, covering her heart as if she was trying to keep the organ in her chest. Hermione couldn't help but smile, happy tears pricking her eyes at the sight.

Dr. Harris and June were conversing silently as the image froze on the screen and the doctor used her finger to point again, "These are Baby A's legs, the baby we knew about all along, this here is their little bum. And right here, these two little lines here means that we are lucky today and know that this baby is going to be a little boy."

Draco made a little noise in his throat and Hermione glanced up at him to see him grinning like the cat that ate the canary. His eyes were shimmering in the dim lights and she squeezed his hand, tearing his eyes away from the screen as he leaned down to kiss her, murmuring against her lips, "I told you so."

Hermione laughed and rolled her eyes, "We still have one more to go, Draco. Don't go getting all cocky."

She felt the wand moving around on her stomach once more and her eyes returned to the screen, but Draco snorted and whispered in her ear, "It'll be another boy. Just you watch."

She rolled her eyes again as another pair of legs appeared then disappeared as June tried to get a better angle, pressing in on Hermione's stomach. "Seems Baby B is still being a little shy. Has those legs crossed." It was Hermione's turn to snort, because she just knew, call it mother's intuition.

"Aha! Here we go." June said, freezing the image as Dr. Harris stepped in again, explaining the differences. "Where we had two lines a moment ago, we now have three, see right here? That means this little shy thing is a-"

"Girl." Hermione finished for her, looking up at Draco and giving him a smirk. "I told you so."

XxX

A few hours later, they were back home from the appointment and Draco was in shock. He was indeed having a son, but he was having a daughter as well. What the hell was he going to do with a daughter? He knew what to do with a boy, but a girl? Oh, he was so screwed.

"Draco?" Hermione called out to him from the bathroom and he went in, smiling at her as she tried to zip up the dress she had put on.

He walked up behind her and zipped it up for her with a smile. "Thank you. Oh, I should probably tell you that Pansy will be here for dinner."

Draco raised a brow as he began to knot the tie at his throat. "Pans? Why?"

Hermione began putting an earring in her ear, her eyes meeting his in the mirror with a grin. "She and Harry have been seeing one another."

Draco's brows went impossibly higher, his hands dropping to his sides, "What?! You're joking." His witch shook her head, putting the other diamond stud in her ear. "No, they started talking in October, that weekend in Hogsmeade when I found out I was pregnant. She's going to be staying until the wedding, too. I already cleared it with your mum."

He didn't know how much more shock he could take today, but to be honest, he was happy for Pans. She deserved some happiness and if that's what Potter gave her, then good for her. "Are they happy?"

Hermione nodded, walking over with a necklace in her hands, holding it up to him. He took it and helped her put it on when she moved her hair. "I haven't seen Harry this happy in a long time, Draco. He pined after Ginny for so long that it was eating away at him, but he's been happier lately. I could even tell in his letters." Draco leaned in and kissed the clasp of the necklace and nodded.

"That's good. They both deserve that happiness, then. Ready?"

Hermione nodded, turning around to straighten his tie before leaving the bathroom. Together, they headed for the ballroom, which was set up for Christmas lunch.

XxX

The next few days passed by quickly. Finally, it was the day of the wedding and it was like organized chaos. Hermione had been whisked away from Draco early in the day by Narcissa. The wedding was to be at two in the evening and apparently she had to be readied. She'd had no idea what that meant until she was moved into one of the suites in the Manor. Ginny and her mother were there with her also, which she was grateful for.

Her preparations had insisted of an hour-long bath, soaking in special soaps and having her hair washed in special shampoos. Her body was then lathered in special lotions, making her skin shimmer and glow in a natural way. Then she'd been sat in a chair and her hair had been tamed into a gorgeous half updo; the half that was down was in loose ringlets.

Then her makeup was done by the same witch, and when she'd finally been free to look in the mirror, she almost didn't recognize herself. She still looked the same-the makeup only served to accentuate her features-but it was her hair, looking so tamed, that had taken her aback. She felt beautiful.

Her mother teared up in the corner and smiled at her. "Darling, you look stunning." When Hermione held her hand out, her mother came in close and squeezed her hand, giving it a kiss. She then slid a ring with a large turquoise gem onto her finger. "Something old and blue. It belonged to your Nanny Granger."

Ginny, who had heard about the Muggle tradition from Hermione, stepped up and grinned, slipping a silver bracelet onto Hermione's wrist. "Something borrowed, from Theo and I."

Narcissa came forward, a smile on her face. Draco had warned her about this Muggle tradition and she had come prepared. "Something new." She lifted her arms and placed a simple chain around Hermione's neck that held the Malfoy family crest on a medium-sized pendant. "Welcome to the family, dear." She clasped the chain and rubbed Hermione's shoulders as all the women dabbed at their tears.

XxX

In another room of the Manor, Draco was pacing the floor. His nerves were getting the better of him and he couldn't sit still. Theo was chuckling as he watched his best friend suffer. "Mate, I don't know why you're so nervous. It's not like she's going to bail."

Draco rolled his eyes and kept pacing. It wasn't that he thought she would bail, or that the ceremony would go wrong. It was the after he was worried about. He had something planned and didn't want to screw it up. A knock on the door had him spinning around to look at the wooden panels.

Lucius walked in and smiled when he saw Draco. "Everything is set up and ready. It's time for you to head in, son. You ready?"

Draco froze, every muscle in his body going stiff as he realized that this was it, the moment he'd really fantasized about so many times. It was really happening. Theo had offered him some Firewhiskey several times, but he'd refused to take it. He wanted to remember every moment of this, wanted his mind to be as clear as possible. He closed his eyes, an image of his beautiful Hermione filling his mind, and he nodded, instantly calm. "I'm ready. Let's go."

XxX

Hermione stood just on the other side of the ballroom, Ginny in front of her, her father at her side. She could feel the butterflies in her stomach, threatening to make her queasy. It felt as if the twins were dancing in excitement within her womb and she smiled. This was the day every girl dreamed of and it was finally happening for her.

Ginny turned around to give her one last hug before she left to take her place as the maid of honor and then it was just Hermione and her father. "Hermione, I know that I hurt you when you first told me about all of this and I am so very sorry. I should have chosen my words more carefully. I know that you are a smart young woman and have probably thought through every detail of what is going to happen in the coming months. I just wanted you to know, that no matter what happens, your mother and I are and will always be so proud of you. We will always love you, no matter what and nothing will ever change that."

Hermione forced back her tears and hugged her father's neck, sniffling softly, "Oh daddy, I know. It was just a shock and people say things they don't mean when they are shocked. I love you too."

The music started to play and the double doors magically swung open for Hermione and her father to enter. As her eyes swung up, they met with grey and her heart swelled as her smile widened, hurting her cheeks.

She took in Draco's appearance and thought he had never looked more handsome. The bespoke suit he had on had been tailored exactly for him and it fit him perfectly. Every line and detail curved to fit his body. The black was so rich that it made his pale skin and fair hair that much more striking. The white shirt was crisp and the black bow tie brought it all together.

The way he smiled made him seem like he was the happiest man alive and the tears in his eyes were evidence of that very fact.

XxX

The second those double doors swung open, Draco's eyes found Hermione. Just as she had in first year, she stole his breath once again. Her hair was the first thing he noticed. It wasn't spread all over the place like normal, but sleek and elegant. Around her neck, he could see the Malfoy crest dangling and his chest swelled with pride to see her wearing it already.

The dress-if he had thought he'd seen her dressed up before, it couldn't compare to this. The lace sleeves were long and mostly see through, with a floral design spread out. The bodice of the dress had an empire waist, and the top was fitted to Hermione's chest, with a sweetheart neckline and no straps. A jeweled belt rested just atop her beautiful pregnant bump. The rest of the lacy dress simply flowed down to the floor.

The vision Hermione made became wavy the longer he looked at her and the closer she got to him. When she was right in front of him, he was itching to get her hands in his. He hadn't seen her all day and while it had been worth it, he had missed her. The officiant cleared his throat when everyone had resumed their seats. "Who gives this woman to this man?" The man had been instructed to try and blend the two cultures as much as possible.

"Her mother and I do," Mr. Granger answered, giving Hermione a kiss on the cheek, before shaking Draco's hand and placing Hermione's hand into Draco's. As Mr. Granger took his seat, Hermione smiled up at him and he smiled back, mouthing an ' _I love you.'_ Hermione mouthed one back, smiling brightly as the old wizard began the ceremony.

"We have gathered here today to bond this couple and unite these two families in matrimony. For them, out of the routine of their normal lives, the extraordinary happened. They overcame animosity toward one another, what seemed to be insurmountable hurdles in the short span of their young lives, and fell in love, finalizing it with their wedding today.

"Marriage is a sacred commitment, whether in the wizarding community or the muggle one. It is something to be treasured, nurtured and cultivated. Romance is fun, but true love is something far more and it is their wish to love each other for the rest of their lives.

"In marriage, the "little" things are the big things. It is never being too old to hold hands. It is remembering to say "I love you" at least once a day. It is never going to bed angry, and standing together and facing the world.

"It is speaking words of appreciation and demonstrating gratitude in thoughtful ways. It is having the capacity to forgive and forget. It is a common search for the good and the beautiful and it is not only marrying the right person, but it is being the right partner. The couple have written their own vows and are now going to recite them. Please face each other. Hermione, if you will." The officiant gestured to Hermione and smiled.

Draco became lost in Hermione's eyes, squeezing her hands as she took a deep breath, sliding his ring on his finger as she spoke. "Draco, when I decided to come back to Hogwarts this year, I wanted a year with no drama, nothing extra, just school. But life had other plans. An old headmaster that just doesn't know how to quit, even in death. A headmistress that aided and abetted a dead man. Friends scheming behind our backs to get us together, for the best night of my life. And it all lead us here, to a place in my life I never thought I'd be.

"I had always had faith that underneath your hard exterior that there was someone good under that, and I was right. I have never been more happy to have been proven right. While I probably would have never given you a chance on my own, honestly you likely would have won me over with your charm before school was out. I am thankful for the factors that lead us here today. I never thought that anyone could fall in love as fast and as hard as I have, and I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world, wizarding and muggle alike. I love you and these miracles with all that I am and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

By the end, Hermione was crying beautifully, and Draco had given her a handkerchief. The old wizard officiant cleared his throat once again and gave Draco a gentle smile, "Draco, if you would recite your vows, please."

Taking a shaky breath, Draco cleared his own throat and squeezed Hermione's hands, his heart hammering in his chest, his fingers shaking as he worked her ring back into its rightful spot on her finger.

"Hermione, we both know by now that I've been in love with you for quite some time. But I wanted to say that I will never finish falling in love with you. Every day, you do something else that I fall in love with and I am always waiting to see what else you will do. Whether it is making up some new potion, or completing an essay in three hours, that would take a normal person a week to finish. The newest thing that I love is watching how your body grows and changes every day and how you adjust to it.

"I am amazed every day that we created the lives that are growing inside of you, and that we will get to continue to help them grow and nurture them. I couldn't think of anyone else I would rather raise children with. If not for you, Hermione, my life would be vastly different and definitely much darker. You are my light and my life. As I told you when I gave you that ring, every breath I breathe is for you. You and our children, I love you, Hermione."

XxX

There were some sniffles and nose blowing from the small crowd, but Hermione and Draco barely heard it. They were both so caught up in each other's eyes, until the officiant spoke again.

"In wizarding ceremonies, we perform, if chosen, an Unbreakable Bond. It links the couple, body, mind and soul, joining them as one, allowing them to know each other completely. Draco, Hermione, please join your left hands." Hermione smiled at Draco, her hand lifting into the air, bending at the elbow as Draco did the same and joined their hands.

The wizard held his wand aloft, speaking the incantation aloud, then repeating it in English. " _Iungere illis corpore, mens et anima._ Join them, body, mind and soul." The tip of his wind lit up with a bluish white light, similar to a patronus. A long, thin rope like sliver slowly unwound from the wand, twining its way around Draco and Hermione's hands, sinking into their skin and illuminating them from underneath.

"This bond is a lifelong commitment and is only broken by death. May you live happily until your dying day." The light slowly faded and the old wizard looked at the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, witches and wizards, it is my greatest pleasure to announce to you man and wife. Draco, you may now kiss your bride."

Draco smirked down at Hermione and she couldn't help but giggle as he stepped in and dipped her back. His lips crashed to hers, moving against hers with a fervor she had missed over the course of the day. When she felt the swipe of his tongue, she opened willingly, her own tongue coming out to greet his.

The whooping and hollering from the crowd had Hermione blushing, and she only broke away when she heard Ron shouting, "Get a room!"

Her husband helped her upright and turned her toward the small crowd, while the officiant once again called out, "Presenting again, Mr and Mrs. Draco Malfoy." Hermione squeezed Draco's hand as they walked back down the aisle past their family and friends, heading for the back of the ballroom and the reception area.

XxX

The guests moved from the seating area, Narcissa rearranging the chairs with a wave of her wand, moving them to the tables, freeing up the floor for dancing. Draco led Hermione to the open space, back to the dance floor, when it was announced that they would have their first dance.

Their families and friends circled around them as the music began to play. They had decided on a song that they both liked: "Make You Feel My Love" by Bob Dylan. As the music began to play, Draco took his wife into his arms, grinning down at her. "You look so beautiful, Mrs. Malfoy."

The answering blush was something he would never get tired of and he pulled her closer, his mouth resting right next to her ear as he lifted her onto his toes. Draco whispered into her ear, "You look so beautiful today, love. You took my breath away once again."

He could feel Hermione's answering smile, her voice echoing into his ear. "And you look so very handsome. I love seeing you in a suit." As the song went on they continued to dance and Draco began to sing along in Hermione's ear, he could hear her sniffle as he sang and when the song came to an end, they could hear the smattering of applause from their loved ones.

Narcissa had set up a father-daughter dance next and Draco handed his wife off to her father with a smile, giving her a gentle kiss before he made his way to where the small band was playing. His mother gave him a strange look, but he shook her off and picked up his guitar from the stand. He placed the strap across his chest and stepped up to the Muggle microphone, clearing his throat.

Hermione turned to look at him, curiosity lighting up her eyes and he smiled at her, "While we were looking through songs to have for the reception, we chose a song for this dance, but it just didn't fit. So, I found a poem that fit and wrote a song around it. So, here goes."

He began to strum the guitar, the song ringing throughout the ballroom and his eyes locked onto Hermione and her father as he began to sing.

"Girl you look so pretty in your wedding day white,

Dancing with another man, but that's alright.

The way he's spinning you around has stopped the whole room,

I'm gonna have a hell of a time trying to fill your daddy's boots.

He's got a heart of gold, right hand like a vice,

Same man on Sunday morning as Saturday night.

Barbed wire tough and cowboy cool,

I'm gonna have a hell of a time trying to fill your daddy's boots.

He was the first to hold your hand, the first to dry your tears,

We had a man to man and now I'm taking it from here.

I made him a promise, girl I promise you,

I'll always do the best that I can do.

I'm gonna have a hell of a time trying to fill your daddy's boots.

They say there's things about him that you see in me,

He's the kind of man I want to be.

Got to give the man credit where credit is due,

I'm gonna have a hell of a time trying to fill your daddy's boots.

He was the first to hold your hand, the first to dry your tears,

We had a man to man and now I'm taking it from here.

I made him a promise, girl I promise you,

I'll always do the best that I can do.

I'm gonna have a hell of a time trying to fill your daddy's boots.

Girl you look so pretty in your wedding day white,

Dancing with another man, oh but that's alright.

The way he's spinning you around has stopped the whole room,

I'm gonna have a hell of a time trying to fill your daddy's boots.

I'm gonna have a hell of a time trying to fill your daddy's boots."

As the song came to a close, Mr. Granger stopped spinning Hermione around and Draco stepped away from the band, walking over to his wife and father-in-law. The two men shook hands and smiled at each other. "That was a great song, son. I think you're going to do just fine." He gave Hermione back to Draco and disappeared to find his own wife to dance with. Draco led Hermione around the ballroom to greet their guests and thank them for coming, before returning to the dance floor once again to dance the afternoon away.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The wedding had passed and school had been back in full swing for a few months now. It was March and the N.E.W.T.s were fast approaching. Hermione truly hoped that the twins held out until after testing. Her last exam was scheduled for May 12th, Professor McGonagall having arranged to have them earlier than normal.

Right now she was sitting on their couch, relaxing back into the cushions, a bowl of noodles resting on her rounded belly. She was now seven months pregnant and Draco had been so very wonderful, far beyond anything she could have imagined. The look he got when he felt the twins move was nothing short of pure joy.

The door to the dormitory opened and Draco entered, carrying a stack of books that she had requested. She had taken to cutting back on her classes already. It was just difficult for her to walk to each class. She felt like a beached whale; just climbing the steps once had her nearly gasping for breath. She had actually come up with a spell that she cast on Draco before every class which allowed her to listen to the lectures as if she were there.

"Hello, love. How are you feeling?" he asked softly, depositing the books on the low table in front of the couch and sitting down, leaning in for a kiss.

"I'm doing great today. I think it was a good idea to stay in today. My feet are so swollen and I've had them propped up most of the day. I have a feeling that the Healers are going to tell me tomorrow that I need to stop going to classes altogether and be on partial bedrest because of it."

His hand rested on her stomach and rubbed gently, smiling at her. "Well, that won't be a bad thing, love. Those two do get quite active when they're around all the other students. I think it has something to do with all the noise." Draco leaned down, running his lips up and down her large stomach. "Isn't that right, my shy little Lyra?"

Hermione giggled and shook her head, "Her name is going to be Juliet, Draco. We agreed." She ran her fingers through his hair as he ignored her and continued to kiss along her stomach. "I agreed to name our son Scorpius, if you let me name our daughter Juliet."

"Yes, but we also agreed her middle name would be Lyra if Scorpius' was to be James." At that he gave her a playfully disgusted look. She had settled on James for two reasons, the first being it was her father's middle name. The second, and the one that bothered Draco the most, was because it was also Harry's middle name and she wanted to honor her best friend. After all, if it weren't for him, she wouldn't have her parents back.

Draco sat back up and draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close, kissing the side of her head. "I love you, Hermione." She sank into his side, relaxing into his body and closing her eyes. The morning sickness had left finally, but the tiredness had hung around and as she let Draco's scent fill her lungs, she drifted off into a light doze.

XxX

It was finally N.E.W.T.s week and Hermione was so very exhausted. She could barely make it down to the Great Hall for each exam, so Professor McGonagall had told her to use the Floo to get from her dorm to the Great Hall. It was quite ingenious really and Hermione was glad for the ease it presented. She was worried that with her mind so distracted, she wouldn't do as well as she expected to, but after each exam, she felt confident in her results.

She had just finished her Care of Magical Creatures exam and was walking back to the Floo when Professor McGonagall caught up to her, "Hermione, dear, how are you feeling?"

Hermione rested her hand on top of her stomach and blew out a breath. "I am so tired, Professor. The babies aren't letting me get much sleep, I can't get comfortable anywhere and I am distracted all the time. I hope that I am doing-" Hermione sucked in a breath as a sudden pain twisted in her lower back, her free hand moving to press into the spot where the pain radiated from. She gritted her teeth, speaking through them. "And I've been getting these pains, and from what I've read, I think they're contractions. I'm just hoping I make it to the end of the week."

Professor McGonagall watched her with a sympathetic look on her face. "I believe you are most likely right. I have never experienced that feeling myself, but I have heard it described to me on many an occasion." Hermione noted the pain lacing the elderly witch's features and felt the pain lance at her heart. She had often wondered why Professor McGonagall had never had children of her own. In a way, she had had thousands of children during her years as a professor, but that wasn't the same.

As another pain spiraled from her back around her side, she hissed, clenching her teeth again. "I think I'd better go and lie down, Professor, I'll see you tomorrow."

XxX

It was finally Friday the twelfth and Hermione could honestly say, for the first time in her life, that she was happy for exams to be over. Her feet were swollen to the size of beach balls, her back was aching and was constantly tight. The levels of comfort she was used to were long gone and she was beyond miserable. Draco had tried his best, giving her foot, back and shoulder massages, bringing her anything she asked for. But he could only do so much.

She felt so bad for snapping at him when she did, but he was always asking her how she was doing and her answer never changed. She was tired and hurting. She had just stepped out of the Floo into the Great Hall, Draco smiling at her from the other side. "Hello, love. May I escort you to your last exam, my lovely wife?" Hermione smiled at her husband and took his outstretched hand, "Yes, please, my handsome husband." He walked her to the station for the DADA exam, gave her a kiss and left her there.

A gruelling hour later, she had finished the exam and was out of breath. The proctor of the exam summoned a chair for her to sit in and Hermione dropped into it, grateful. The contraction that hit her then had her gasping for air, her hands resting on either side of her stomach. Professor McGonagall appeared at her side. "Hermione, are you okay?"

Hermione shook her head, biting hard on her bottom lip. "Is Draco finished?"

Professor McGonagall looked over to where Draco was at, narrowing her eyes, trying to discern the answer to Hermione's question. After a moment, it was clear that Draco had just finished his final exam and Professor McGonagall called him over, not worrying about the others taking their exams.

Draco rushed over, "What is it? Hermione, are you okay?"

"I need to go lie down. But I need your help getting there." Hermione said, reaching for Draco's hands. He bent down and grabbed her hands helping her to stand. It took her a moment and she released one of his hands to place it on her back. The moment she stood straight though, she felt a rush of something warm and wet running down her legs and spilling onto the floor. She glanced down, intending to look at her feet, her voice rising in fear. "Draco!"

Draco followed her downward glance, as did Professor McGonagall, Draco froze on the spot, but Professor McGonagall rushed them to the Floo. "Go, Draco, go!" The professor pushed them both into the fireplace, throwing the emerald green powder in herself, calling out for St. Mungo's. This was the day that Juliet and Scorpius were going to make their entrance. Hermione was officially in labor.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	14. Author's Note

**A/N: My lovely readers, I have some news for you! I wanted to post it here for you so that those of you who are following this story will know what is going on. I have posted the first chapter of the sequel to this story. It is called How Do We Do This Parenting Thing? I hope you enjoy it.**

 **XoXo,**

 **Elle.**


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